


The Old Guard

by magicianparrish



Series: The Old Guard au [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Dubious Ethics, Dubious Science, F/F, Found Family, Immortality, M/M, Temporary Character Death, The Old Guard AU, broganes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 52,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicianparrish/pseuds/magicianparrish
Summary: “This is what we do,” Shiro added.And he was right. It was what they did. It was what they had been doing for centuries. But it had been so much easier back then to do what they did. The modern world made it much more difficult to achieve the same goals they had when they had first started._____________________________________________________________________________________The Old Guard au that no one wanted but I wrote anyway.
Relationships: Adam & Keith (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura & Keith (Voltron), Allura & Lance (Voltron), Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Shiro (Voltron), implied Curtis/Shiro/Adam
Series: The Old Guard au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904683
Comments: 7
Kudos: 48





	1. Family Reunion in Marrakesh

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here is more of that Old Guard au that no one but me cares about. But my brain won't let me stop until I write it so here I am. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! (Not edited or beta'd so all mistakes are mine)

Allura had been here before. Many times in fact. Though she had been to many places, many times in the many years she had been alive. After the first few dozens of times, the places tend to lose their charm, but this wasn’t one of them. 

Marrakesh; the Red City. She had been there when the city was founded, and she would probably be there when the city changed, or fell to oblivion, as places inevitably do. Allura knew those red walls as if they were the lines on the back of her hand. She knew the back ways that avoided the main streets and the hustle and bustle of locals and tourists mingling together into a sea of people. She had seen many faces come and go in her multiple lifetimes, knowing that each person she passed had a history and life all their own. They were ignorant to the true world that surrounded them; happy to live in their own sliver of the world. There were times where Allura envied their ignorance; where she wished that she could be just like those ordinary people. Not burdened with the knowledge of what truly lays in this world, but in antiquity and in modern times. 

The sun was shining bright that day, making the old walls stand out more than usual. Not a cloud in the sky, allowing it to display its azureness in all its beauty. Though she had seen empires rise and collapse, she was happy to know that some things like the sun or the sky never changed. 

Allura secured a hair tie and put it between her lips as she attempted to tame her white curls. She brushed her fingers through her hair a few times before securing it and tying it into a bun on her head. It was too hot for hair to be sticking to the back of her neck. She slid on her aviators over her eyes and adjusted the strap to the small backpack she had. Allura wore a white tank top and some khaki shorts to go with her sneakers, to avoid getting too hot during the summer months in Morocco. 

The back streets were quiet, and it allowed her time to just be in relative peace. Something that came not often nowadays. Occasionally a person would walk past her, some giving her looks, while others just ignored her completely. She didn’t care. She hadn’t cared what people thought in a long, long time. 

As she continued to walk, her peace was interrupted by the sound of an engine. Allura ignored it until the moped that had been making the noise drove past her and cut her off from continuing her original path. She stopped, with her eyebrows raised. 

She recognized the person. Of course, she did. The man was young, looking to be in his mid-twenties. He had a pair of sunglasses that covered his eyes, and he had a neutral look on his face. A scar went down the right side of his cheek. Long black hair was braided neatly, with some flyaways coming out and framing his face. He wore a black t-shirt, and black ripped jeans with combat boots. 

He gave a small smile at her. Allura scoffed and shook her head, but smiled back. He got off his bike and moved it against one of the walls. 

“You good?” he asked casually. 

“Yes,” Allura replied, walking up to him.

Once the bike was secured, he took a messenger bag and put it across his shoulder. He ran a hand over his face. 

“You travel?” 

“I did,” Allura said. She took her backpack off and opened up the front pocket and took out a book. She handed it over to him. 

“I got you something on those travels.” 

“What’s this?” He took it from her hands and looked at it. It was an old book that was worn at the edges. The spine was cracked from years of use. The cover was a faded red. He read the title and his face lit up. 

“Oh,  _ Don Quixote _ ,” he said with excitement. “Oh, first edition!”

Allura chuckled at his reaction. She knew he’d love it; he’d always been such an avid reader. Something he had learned and picked up from his older brother. She watched as he weighed it in his palms and then gently put in his bag. 

“That couldn’t have been cheap,” he observed. 

“It wasn’t, trust me. Had to fight off some auctioneers to get it, so you’re welcome.” 

He smiled and gave a small chuckle nodding his head. “Thank you, it will be duly noted.” 

They had their nice little reunion, but Allura wanted to get down to business now. She turned to him as they kept walking through the side streets. 

“So why am I here, Keith?” she asked. 

Keith nodded and looked ahead. “You remember, Surabaya, eight years ago?” 

Allura hummed in acknowledgment. Though she had lived through many years, even her memory of the recent past wasn’t too bad. It was more of when people started asking about what happened a few centuries ago that things blurred together. 

“CIA.” 

“Yes. The guy who had hired us for it, Lotor Daibazal, reached out,” Keith informed. “Apparently he’s freelancing now.” 

It was hard to forget a man such as Lotor Daibazal. A relatively young man, with a refined British accent that would make any teenage American girl swoon, and long white hair that always seemed immaculate. But there was some rocky history between the two, so Allura grunted. 

“What does he want?” she wondered. 

They entered a part of the main street, and they stopped. Keith walked a little in front of her to face her. 

“He has a hostage situation in South Sudan,” he said. 

Allura immediately shook her head. She clicked her teeth and looked back at him. “No, no, no. We do not do repeats, Keith. You know this. It is way too risky.” 

The sounds of the main hubs of Marrakesh surrounded them as they stared at each other for a long moment. Keith sighed looking down at his shoes before coming back up. 

“Allura,” he said, emphasizing her name. She hated it when he did that. 

She sighed and cursed under her breath. “Adam and Shiro?” she asked. Allura had to make sure the full team would be together. 

Keith gave her a full smile and nodded. “They’re at the hotel already.” 

“Of course they are.” 

They shared a secret smile and a small laugh together. They both bonded over the fact that the two of them could be too much sometimes. But they loved them. It was hard not to, even after being together for all those years. 

“Let’s not keep them waiting then,” Allura said and they kept walking. 

They walked until they got the lobby of the hotel. They were not pulling punches it seemed. The lobby was beautiful, full of frescos and marble and gold melded together. Trees were growing right from the ground below them, giving it a fresh scent. Tourists were ogling at their surroundings or checking in at the concierge. She allowed Keith to handle that as she waited behind him. The young man working the desk smiled at him. 

“Welcome to El Fenn, sir,” he greeted. 

Keith just nodded. “Hi.” He took out his wallet and passport for the identification and dropped it on the desk. The man took it. 

“Checking in?” 

“Yes.” 

“What brings you to, Marrakesh?” the man asked, wanting to make small talk as he typed away on his computer. 

Allura hid a smirk behind her hand, knowing how much Keith hated small talk. Keith sighed and looked back at Allura for a moment with an eyebrow raised before turning his attention back to the employee. 

“Family,” was all he said. The man nodded and continued typing and pulling up the necessary information. 

Allura took that time to do a quick scope of the place. It was something she did whenever she found herself in a place that was not one of their many safehouses. She had been alive long enough to know to always look out for potential threats. Considering who they were and how they worked. She watched the people lounge on some of the chairs and couches provided. Some were looking at maps and various brochures of tourist traps, and some servers were giving out tea to residents staying at the hotel. The openness of the lobby, allowing the trees to grow and the sun to shine in were clear of any threats. She made note of all the security cameras. 

On a large flat-screen TV, the news was showcasing the crisis in Syria, with images of refugees fleeing from their war-torn country. Then to other horrific and tragic events unraveling in other parts of the world as well. Allura frowned watching it. So many things were happening at once, and it made her sad to see it. 

“Everyone say, Marrakesh!” a woman’s voice said. Allura turned and saw a group of American women tourists taking a selfie together as they said the name of the city they were in. She turned away from them as the sound of the shutter went off on the phone. She could not afford to have her face plastered somewhere. But she wasn't sure she made it clear, so she turned back and plastered a smile as she walked over. 

“Do you want me to take one for you?” she asked politely. People seemed drawn to the British accent she had cultivated over the years. It made her more approachable and safe. The woman nodded. 

“Yes, thank you so much!” she said as she handed the phone to Allura. She quickly went to the photos and deleted the one they just took. She was in it. That couldn’t stand. Then she went to the camera and leveled it towards the group of women. She took one photo and handed it back. 

“There you go. Enjoy your visit,” she said. 

“Thank you!” 

Allura nodded and walked away. She saw Keith walk away from the concierge desk, and they nodded to each other. Allura met up with him and they walked deeper into the hotel, following the signs that led to the room. It was one of the suites. The doors were two that had stained glass embedded and Keith knocked. A moment later a familiar face opened it up. 

“ _ Yahsoo _ ,” Keith greeted, in Greek. The preferred dialect of said familiar face. Though he spoke nearly as many languages as Allura did. In the background, the other member of their group was waiting. 

He looked between them, his amber eyes as bright as they always were, and a small smile broke on his face. Allura felt a sense of warmth roll through her body at seeing her brothers again after a brief separation. Allura went into the hug, with his arms wrapping tightly around her. She hummed in appreciation before letting go and moving on to the next one. This hug was much more enthusiastic and she felt herself being lifted up off the ground which elicited a laugh from her and a gentle smack. 

“Let me down,” she chided. 

“You know I can’t resist a good lift up hug,” Shiro said with a smile. 

Keith closed the door behind him quietly. Adam wrapped an arm around him and whispered something that Allura didn’t catch, but they shared a look between each other. Keith rolled his eyes which got Adam chuckling as he squeezed his shoulder and walked further into the suite. 

“You look great, Allura,” Shiro complimented. 

“And you look...just okay,” she retorted. She pulled on his little white bang that he insisted on keeping. “I liked it better when you had long hair.” 

“That’s what I keep saying, but will he listen to me?  _ No _ ,” Adam added as he sat down on the couch. 

Shiro batted her hand away from his hair, fixing it. “Hey! I happen to think this look looks good. Plus, only one of us can have long hair, and I’m not matching with Emo over here.” 

“Hey!” Keith exclaimed. “Shut up.” 

“You should know that he never does by now, Keith,” Adam said. “You’ve known him for almost two hundred years.” 

Adam poured everyone some coffee into cups that were set up on the table. There was also a small silver flask that belonged to Shiro next to it. Adam picked it up and waved it to them. 

“Anyone feeling adventurous today? Good ole Irish coffee? But with...Ethiopian coffee beans instead?” 

Allura and Keith raised their hands and Adam poured a small shot of the liquor into their cups and stirred it with a silver spoon. “Sugar? Creme? Milk?” 

Though he already knew how they liked it. Keith preferred nothing, but Allura liked hers more milky than coffee, and he made it so. He gave them the cups and they thanked him. Shiro had gone over to a small bag and pulled something wrapped in paper out of it. He walked over to Allura and handed it to her. 

“I have something for you,” he said. Allura raised her eyebrows, took it. 

Adam was laying back on the couch with his arms behind his head with a knowing smirk on his face. Keith was watching keenly but sipping his coffee. Allura chuckled. 

“Shiro,” she said, waving the wrapped treat at him. She put it up to her nose, smelling the sweet aroma of it before untying it and unwrapping it. Inside was a small piece of her favorite treat. 

“Baklava,” she said, with a love in her voice only reserved for it. They all softly laughed at her, but she didn’t care. It was much of a running joke between the four of them. 

Shiro turned to his brother. “Five hundred, Keith,” he offered. Placing a bet as he always did when she ate this. 

“Don’t do it,” Allura warned, but they never listened to her. Shiro was already taking out his wallet, shaking it, and pulling out money. 

Adam was smirking at them, and Keith took another sip of his coffee and nodded. He let out a hiss between his teeth as he sat forward. They both shook on it as they always did. Then Keith lifted himself up and pulled out his own wad of cash and threw it on the table. 

“All in,” he declared. 

“All in?” Shiro confirmed. Keith repeated with a smirk. 

Allura rolled her eyes but took the piece of baklava out of its wrapping and took a bite. She closed her eyes savoring all the flavors that erupted in her mouth. She couldn’t help but let out a moan of delight. She nodded her head. 

“Hazelnut, nut walnut,” she started, detecting all the ingredients. 

They were all looking at her with an intensity only this game brought. Shiro nodded his head. She looked up at him. He had his hands on his waist. 

“The Black Sea,” she said, identifying the origin of it. 

Keith had two fingers up. “Rosewater,” she continued, and Keith raised a third, while Shiro sighed and closed his eyes, setting himself up for defeat. 

Allura smiled. “Pomegranate,” she continued taking another delicious bite. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. Adam let out a long whistle. She lifted her head to look Shiro in the eyes with a smirk. 

“Eastern Turkey,” she said with finality.

Keith jumped up and pumped his fist in the air. “Woo!” he cheered, as Adam hysterically laughed with him. 

Shiro let out a string of curses and put his hands behind his head in defeat as he walked away. 

“Thank you for all your money, Shiro,” he said in Greek as he took the entire pot off the table and bundled it up for himself. 

“Oh, when will you ever learn, my love?” Adam replied also in Greek, with laughter still following his voice. 

“I really thought I had her this time,” Shiro complained. 

“You will never have her,” Adam said. “She’s just too good.” 

Shiro sighed and sat in one of the loveseats, as Allura finished off her baklava with a smile. She had missed their antics so much. She missed her team. Her family. 

“Admit it, boss, you missed us,” Adam said, pointing to her as if he had read her mind. Which knowing him, was a very good possibility. 

She looked at the three of them. The way Adam always looked put together. He was wearing a white short-sleeved polo shirt with black bamboo designs on it, and light brown chinos that were cropped at his ankles, and a pair of leather sneakers to go with it. Shiro who toed the line between fashion, and just rolling out of bed, in his black tank top with an open button-down with flamingos on it layered on, and black Adidas jogger pants and sneakers. 

She nodded. “I did miss you guys,” she admitted, though it was no secret. 

Keith sighed and patted the couch he was on looking at all of them. “It’s a job, guys.” 

Shiro nodded. They had already been briefed on it by Keith, Allura could see. They were just waiting for her to confirm they could carry out the mission. 

“We can do some good,” Shiro said, looking at Allura as he said it. 

Allura’s good mood evaporated at the mention of a job. She leaned forward and put her elbows on her thighs. 

“Have any of you been watching the news lately?” she asked. She shook her head. “Some good means nothing nowadays.” 

She got up from the couch and made her way towards the small window in the room. She looked out to see the bustling streets below. She crossed her arms. 

“I don’t know about this, guys,” she said. “It doesn’t seem like we’re actually helping.” 

“I know you said you needed a break,” Adam interjected, “but it has been over a year, Allura.” 

“This is what we do,” Shiro added. 

And he was right. It was what they did. It was what they had been doing for centuries. But it had been so much easier back then to do what they did. The modern world made it much more difficult to achieve the same goals they had when they had first started. It was taking Allura much more time to adjust to these changes than it had ever been before. And sometimes it felt like she was the only one who felt that way. Perhaps she was, given she was the original. She had been alive the longest. Adam and Shiro have seen their fair share too, but if they struggled they hid it well. It also helped that they had each other. Keith was just a baby, not even in his second century with them all. 

She closed her eyes to clear her thoughts for a moment before turning around. Keith was looking at her and nodded. She sighed. She mulled the idea over in her head. 

“I’ll hear him out,” she decided. 

They all nodded, accepting the answer. 


	2. The Mistake of Working Repeats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New day, new chapter! Thanks for the comments and kudos so far! 
> 
> Just wanna put a warning that yes there is some violence in this chapter. I'm not good at describing anything too graphic, but it's there. So read at your own peril :) 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

They get the location of the rendezvous and vote to let Keith and Allura handle the talks with Lotor since Keith was the one who had been in touch with the former CIA operative, and Allura wanted to hear what he had to say. They go towards the outskirts of the city, the places where tourists don’t dare to touch. A collection of worn out buildings made of stone, with various cables and wires going across in makeshift poles. Kids are out playing games in the streets, running around laughing. Old men sit and talk together while playing board games and smoking cigars. Women walking around with their friends chatting and doing errands. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

The two of them walk through the small crowd of people, going about their business as usual. Vendors and merchants are haggling with their customers, hoping to sell knock offs as genuine. Allura scoffed quietly to herself. You see one city, you see them all, she thought to herself. Being surrounded by people in a souk was the perfect cover when trying to remain anonymous. Something that was hard to do these days. 

Keith led them through the pathways until they saw the familiar face. He was sitting in a folding chair next to a small table set up by a food stand. He was wearing a tan suit jacket and a casual blue button-down shirt. His long white-blonde hair was tied back in a low ponytail giving him a chic look. His blue eyes lit up when he saw them and he smiled at the two of them as they walked up to the table. He stood up and Keith walked up and gave him a firm handshake. 

“Mr. Diabazal,” he greeted. 

“Mr. Kogane, hello,” he said in that smooth British accent of his. He then turned to Allura and gave a dazzling smile. Allura narrowed her eyes at him. 

“It’s good to see you again.” 

Allura pursed her lips. She had a lot she could say to Lotor Diabazal, but she elected to be more civil that day. She gave a curt smile. 

“You as well,” was all she said. 

They all took their seats at the small table. Allura crossed her arms over her chest and put her sunglasses up into her hair. 

“So why’d you leave the business?” she asked. 

Lotor gave a small chuckle. “Not beating around the bush. I should’ve expected as much from you, Allura.” 

She watched as he met Keith’s eyes for a moment before sighing. “My wife got sick.” 

“I didn’t know you were married,” she said. She felt she would’ve remembered such a fact as that. Allura glanced down at Lotor’s hand not seeing a ring but didn’t question it. 

“There are many things you don’t know about me, Ms. Altea,” Lotor mumbled. “But it was ALS. A terrible disease really. She died two years ago, and I guess I haven’t really found my way back yet.” 

Allura felt a pang in her heart. She knew the feeling of losing someone you love more than most. She knew the hurt it could bring. How it could easily make you feel lost. 

“I am sorry for your loss, Lotor,” she apologized. 

Lotor gave a small smile in thanks. Then he knocked on the table once. He gave a larger smile to Keith and gestured to him. 

“You haven’t aged a day, Keith,” he observed. 

Keith grunted. “Yes, I have. Trust me.” 

Lotor nodded. He took out a newspaper and put it on the table gesturing to the main headline on the front page. Allura and Keith leaned forward to read it.  _ U.N. Condemns Child Abduction in South Sudan _ , it read in bold letters. 

“Yesterday afternoon from the local paper,” Lotor began. “A school southwest of Juba was attacked by a militia. They murdered the teachers and abducted seventeen of the students at gunpoint. The youngest was eight. Oldest was thirteen.” 

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Allura muttered in disgust. 

Keith nodded in agreement. His face was scowling thinking about it. 

“The South Sudanese government asked the U.S. for help,” Lotor continued. 

Allura looked up in the general direction of where Shiro and Adam would be. It was only through centuries worth of training and working with them that she was able to see the sniper peeking out from a building nearby. She hid a small smile, still listening to what Lotor had to say. 

“But the current administration’s policy is to deny aid to any nonstrategic allies.” 

Allura hummed in acknowledgment. She knew that Shiro was listening in through a radio device, as Adam held the sniper in position. It was only for extra protection; in case Lotor decided to pull some shit on them. They never had true allies, just ones that were of use to them for a time. The only ones they could trust were each other. 

“Some of my ex-colleagues at the CIA feel a bit differently though,” Lotor said, looking at her. Allura took that time to refocus her attention on the man sitting next to her and not her surroundings. She was okay for now. 

On the table was now an Ipad with something loaded up. She looked around once more before picking it up. 

“They reached out to me, and now I’m reaching out to you,” he said leaning forward. 

She looked at what was being presented to her. It was a series of aerial shots taken by whatever connections Lotor had at his disposal. In the middle of the desert, and a small building with nothing around. Completely isolated. She looked at the coordinates and zoomed in on the photo. The next photo was a heat signature one, with a cluster of yellow dots inside the building, meaning there were bodies inside. 

“The last overfly confirmed the personnel on-site,” Lotor said, trying to convince her. “No food or water is being brought in.” 

She swiped again and the next photo was one of a bunch of school girls smiling in dresses. Allura cursed. She knew that it was there just to pull on her heart and empathy. She and Keith stared at the photo for a long minute in silence. He had his lips pursed. She sighed and put the newspaper on top of the Ipad to hide it from view. 

“That means they’re moving them soon,” she deduced. Lotor nodded his head in confirmation. He looked between the two of them, urgency suddenly clouding his expression. 

“And when they do, most likely they’ll be separated, and odds are we’ll never find them again.” 

Allura leaned back and closed her eyes. It was not the first time they had been asked to complete a mission like this. But it never got any easier accepting the circumstances of the modern world and all it had to offer, for better or worse. These missions just meant that there was everything at stake and Allura couldn’t lead her team to fail. It would haunt all of them. They didn’t succeed in every mission, so it hung on their shoulders heavier than any victory did. 

“It has to be done quickly,” Lotor urged. “By the best, and your team’s the best I have ever seen.” 

“Flattery gets you nowhere, Lotor,” Allura said. 

“I know,” he chuckled. “But I mean it. You and your team really are the best there is. That’s why I’m here asking you. You can name your price.” 

Allura looked at Lotor right in the eyes. She had met many people like him before. She knew to stay wary. But he looked earnest like he actually wanted to save those school girls from the imminent danger they were in. 

She got up from her chair and looked down at Lotor. She glanced at Keith for a moment who had his eyebrows raised in a silent question. Yes? She chewed her lip and hissed between her teeth as he looked back at Lotor. 

“We’ll invoice you when it’s done,” she said. She accepted the offer. Then she turned and walked away. 

Keith cleared his throat and stood up to follow her. He grabbed the things they had brought and left without a nod to Lotor. From where Lotor sat, he leaned back in his chair looking at his surroundings. His eye then caught something. To his east, the head of a sniper, where he figured the rest of Allura’s team were hiding. He smirked and waved to them from his chair, took his cup of coffee, and gave a silent toast before taking a sip. He got what he needed. 

Allura and Keith came into the room Adam and Shiro were staked out in. Adam took his eye away from the sniper. Shiro took off the headphones he had been using to monitor the conversation and crossed his arms. 

“So?” he asked. Allura just nodded. 

“Okay then.” 

They packed up their stuff and drove out to one of their safehouses just outside the city. They had one in just about every country in the world, and outside most major cities for this reason. This particular one belonged to Adam and Shiro. A small apartment that had limited running water and electricity but did the job. 

There were secret stashes of weapons that they kept on hand for missions. They all geared up in what they needed. They took the guns and vests, and knives to hide on their person. Adam even had a scimitar he had sheathed over his back, for easy grabbing. Allura made sure to grab her trusty labrys and secure it over her back as well. It had been the weapon of choice for almost as long as she had been doing this work, with some modern modifications. She liked the weight of the hilt in her hand, the way the soft leather felt. It made her feel safe; unstoppable. She felt a ping go off on her burner phone, and she took it out. From a secure message were the coordinates to meet at. 

_ Meet here. Helicopter for transport will be waiting for you _ , the message read. Allura deleted it and closed her phone. She threw it on the ground and smashed it with her foot until it was done. No need for it anymore. The rest of her team looked at her with some eyebrows raised but no one questioned it. 

Keith was re-tying his braid so it wouldn’t get in his way. Shiro had put a black hat on backward like he was still living in the early 2000s. Adam had put a headband on so his bangs didn’t get in the way of his sight. He had switched out his glasses for contacts. They all wore plain clothes of black so that there wouldn’t be any way to identify them if they got spotted on cameras. 

They did a last-minute check of their weapons, making sure that all the guns were locked and loaded. Allura did not know what they would face, going into the secure compound, but it never hurt to be extra cautious. 

“Everyone ready?” she finally asked. 

Her team nodded in affirmation, and she took the keys to one of the many rental cars. They walked out of the apartment through the back way that led to an alley where a black car was parked. Adam and Shiro piled in the back as they usually did, with Keith taking the passenger and Allura the driver. She typed in the coordinates into the secure GPS and started to follow the directions. It was only a fifteen-minute drive, and five minutes from the destination, Keith cleared the history, and they left the car parked on the side of the street. Allura tossed the keys into a sewer as they made the rest of the way on foot. 

Out in a patch of desert was a helicopter waiting for them. The blades were already rotating and a man in gray clothes was waiting for them. He didn’t say anything as they approached but nodded curtly. They piled into the helicopter putting on the protective headphones. The pilot joined them a minute later and started checking everything over before they took off. 

Below them was desert as far as the eye could see. The sun had begun to make its descent for the day, covering everything in a warm orange glow. As they got closer, more rocky formations showed up along with desert trees. Keith had his eyes closed, trying to get some rest before the mission. Shiro, who had put sunglasses on to beat the glare, was looking out at the scenery that surrounded them, humming something and tapping his foot to the beat. Adam had his head bowed and was mouthing something silently to himself, his black hoodie hiding his face. They all had the pre-mission rituals that they all did. Allura just tried to calm her mind and racing thoughts. She preferred to watch her brothers do their rituals; that was hers. 

The pilot motioned to them with three fingers, and Shiro nodded mirroring the gesture. Three minutes out. Allura never felt nervous before a mission. Those jitters had left her long ago. But she always felt the tenseness of a situation, and it made her gut clench. The goal was saving those school girls before something worse happened to them. There was a lot at stake in the mission, and she refused to fail. 

Shiro said something to Adam, and they shared a small smile with each other. Keith awoke as they felt the helicopter start to descend from the sky and towards their drop point. Allura watched the ground get closer and closer by the second. Adam slid on a matching pair of sunglasses over his face. As they touched the ground, dust and dirt flew around them and Adam pulled the door open and jumped out first. Followed by Allura, Shiro, and Keith. 

Allura held one of the straps of her backpack that was filled with more weapons and necessities for the mission. She took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly as she started to lead her team towards the compound. Behind her she heard and felt the helicopter leave them. She put on her own pair of sunglasses and shielded her eyes from the sun to get a better look at their surroundings. She pointed southeast. 

“There, we walk this way,” she directed. 

Her team nodded and followed her through the sands and rocks of South Sudan. A four-person army. But the best army in the world. 

There was a path carved out in the rocks, worn down naturally by time and by the usage of the local population. As they made their way through it, they saw some of the villagers walking it doing their usual business. She was sure they looked sorely out of place in their gear, but there was nothing she could do about it. 

“Peace be with you,” she heard Adam say softly to the people, in Nuer. The language of the locals. 

He was always the most considerate of the group of them. They continued walking as they passed by others, herding goats, or holding hands of their children. Going home for the day. 

When they got close enough to the compound they stopped. They would wait for the cover of dark to make their move. They all sat down away from view, and Allura took her backpack out and opened the zipper. Inside was some food and water. She tossed some crackers and granola bars to each of them, which they all caught with ease. The crinkling of opening the wrappers seemed to echo in the silence. 

“Is this our famous Last Supper?” Adam asked jokingly. He always said the same thing when they were eating like this. Hunkered down waiting for night to give them cover. 

Keith groaned and rolled his eyes so hard Allura thought they would get stuck. Shiro scoffed and took a big bite of his granola bar which crumbled into pieces all over his dark shirt which he brushed off. Allura gave him a smile that humored him. 

“I wish you would stop saying that every time,” Keith complained. 

“When it gets Allura to stop smiling, I will. But until then...” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Do you know the game plan?” Allura asked, taking a sip of water. She tied her hair into a braided bun at the nape of her neck. 

“I can always go over it again,” Shiro said. 

She nodded and took a stick and drew out the layout and plan in the dirt. They went over it again just to make sure they all knew where to go and what to do. By the time they had finished eating and going over it, the sun had set and darkness had fallen. 

They watched as the fortress lit up with guards and floodlights. It was a cloudy night, covering the full moon from shining. That would be in their favor. Allura had pulled on a black cap of her own to cover her bright white hair. 

“It’s time to go,” she said. They packed up their small little camp and then made their way to the closer to the perimeter, but keeping a good distance. 

“Adam it’s your turn,” Allura whispered. Adam nodded and took out his sniper. 

He started to jog around the fence, knowing he’d be in the target range of the guard using the night vision binoculars. They heard one start to say something, but before any words could get out of the mouth, two shots whizzed out taking them out clean. Shiro had his own pair put over his eyes, and when he saw the guards down, he then nodded to Allura. 

They got up from their crouched position and started making their way closer, their guns pointed in front of them. Adam came back over to them. They made their way towards the chain-link fence and snuck around when the guards and lights had its backs turned to them. Keith took out a pair of pliers and started to take apart the links, while the others stood watch with their guns at the ready. He made good work of it, doing it in a fast and efficient manner. Keith nodded when it was ready. He pushed in one side of the fence, now open, and let Allura through first and the rest followed suit. 

They ran towards the side of the building and split up into two. Allura and Keith went left, while Shiro and Adam went right. Adam went up one of the small encampments of the fortress, and waited for the guards to turn the corner. Shiro was waiting on the other side in case he was needed. Adam jumped silently to the ground unsheathing his scimitar and taking out the guards in quick effortless swipes. Shiro came out and tossed a rifle to Adam as they ran down the corridor together. 

Allura took out two of her own guards with quick shots, silenced. The guards had been talking to one another, not paying attention to their duties. Allura didn’t have time to think about the carelessness of it. They met up with Shiro and Adam again and they all converged together, coming into a bailey of sorts. There were makeshift yurts and a pile of dusty black school children's shoes. A door was waiting for them. Shiro went in and took out two explosives and put them on the door as the rest of them kept watch. Once the bombs went off their cover would be blown. Shiro pressed a button and they all ducked their heads to avoid the debris. A second later after a beep, the door exploded. 

In the smoke, they turned on their flashlights on their guns as they moved it back and forth to see as they went deeper into the compound. The hallway was narrow and it had a set of stone steps that went down. Allura led the way in. 

When they got at the end of the stairs, she noticed something odd. It went from stone to steel. She looked around quickly at her surroundings. 

“What the?” she whispered. It seemed as if they had entered a large room. A room that was made of steel and soundproofed of some kind. Far different from the rest of the compound. 

“Are we too late?” Adam asked. 

Then the lights turned on. It blinded Allura and her team for a moment, making her close her eyes and blink the dots away. She looked around, and then put her gun down and rolled her eyes. 

“ _Motherfuck_ -,” she started. 

Rounds of gunfire started, hitting all of them in the body. It went on for a minute until they all hit the ground. Masked assassins came out of the dark corners shooting until they were sure they were all dead. Four bodies littered with gunshots and laying in their own pools of blood. The sounds of falling bullet casings and magazines echoing in the chamber. They held their guns at ready, as one stepped forward to examine the bodies. 

“Room clear,” he shouted. They were all dead. 

The soldiers started to turn away and mutter among themselves. Letting their guard down. 

The wounds on the four bodies started to heal themselves. Allura felt her mouth twitch, and breath come back into her lungs. She refrained from gasping, instead taking small shallow breaths. Next to her she could hear the small gasps of Keith, Shiro, and Adam coming back to life as well, their wounds healing. Together the four of them slowly got up from the ground in which they had been shot dead on. Adam and Shiro looked at each other, to make sure they were both alive and shared a smile. 

The soldiers turned, around hearing the noises. 

“Holy shit,” one cursed. 

“Oh my god,” another gasped. 

“Shit!” 

“Reload! Reload!” another commanded, panic in his voice. 

But it was too late. The four of them sprinted from the ground and enacted their revenge. The fight only lasted a minute. But to call it a fight wouldn’t be fair. The soldiers didn’t stand a chance against them. The four of them had centuries of experience fighting together. They knew each other better than anyone in the world. They fought like a well-oiled machine, and they knew it. Fighting with them was like second nature; it was as natural as breathing air. 

There was a good reason why they were hard to catch; even harder to kill. Because it was nearly impossible to. 

At their feet lay the dead bodies of men who had tried to kill them, and failed in doing so. Just like so many before them had. They were covered in blood spatters, and Allura held her labrys which she had used at her side. They were all breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight. 

“Everyone still with me?” she asked finally. 

“Yeah,” Keith said. 

“ _ Na _ [ _ ί _ ](https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/greek-word-c9b1e5e679def430781116988218cdb4d3e65ddb.html) ,” Adam sighed. “ _ Poté kalýtera _ .”  _ Never better _ . 

Shiro groaned. Allura turned to him with an eyebrow raised. 

“Shiro?” she asked. 

Shiro spat out a bullet from his mouth, letting it clatter to the ground. He made a disgusted noise. “Very pissed off,” he said. “And I hate the taste of metal in my mouth.” 

Adam put his hands on his knees. “So where are the girls?” he asked. 

Allura looked around the spacious room they found themselves in. In each corner, she noticed a small camera. Used for security footage. Or for surveillance and espionage. 

“There never were any girls,” Allura said between grit teeth. 

She walked over to one of the cameras, alerting the others to its presence. Allura was pissed off that she had been tricked. That they all had been tricked by Lotor. She felt the anger crash through her like a tidal wave. She looked right into the camera, knowing that Lotor was looking on through the other end. 

“We’ve been set up.” 

She scowled and lifted up her labrys and hurled it towards the camera, cutting it clean through. 

“That asshole,” she bit. “Let’s get out of here.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Allura is OOC...but she's a much more jaded version of herself in this. She's been fighting the good fight for a while in this fic instead of being asleep for 10,000 years. 
> 
> Also sorry about my crappy action scenes, I am not good at writing them, but I tried! I also don't know Greek, and relied on the Internet, so if translations are off...well my bad. 
> 
> I hope you liked it! Not so much fluff, as more of getting down to business. Lance will be introduced next chapter (I believe, and 99% sure) so stay tuned! 
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated and sustain my life force so please drop some below. Thanks for reading!


	3. Tired of the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaddup, it's a new chapter. 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

Lotor watched as Allura spotted the camera that had been hidden in the secret room. The look on her face was one of pure fury; her eyes blazing with an anger Lotor knew he did not want to be on the end of, though now it seemed inevitable. She had bit something out, it looked like she said asshole, but he couldn’t be so sure. The tape did not have audio, it just needed footage. Her modern-looking labrys, her weapon of choice was held in a tight grip, and dripping blood from where she had slaughtered the small army he had sent to kill them. She then swung it with the motions of an expert, slashing the camera and immediately cutting his connection and the footage, with a screen of static. 

Lotor sighed, trying to push the unease out of his gut. He pulled up all the camera footage that had been recorded, from all angles. He clicked on the one that showed them from behind and showcased it on full screen. He rewound the tape from where they all first entered and the lights had come on. The four of them, silhouetted against the spotlight looked like gods. He leaned forward in his chair as he pressed play to watch the video. A moment later, the soldiers he had hired started shooting, killing the four of them on sight, and falling to the floor with bullet holes riddled in them. 

“Good God,” he breathed out watching it. He could barely believe his eyes. 

He reached over and grabbed his phone, dialing the number of his employer. The call connected after the first few rings. 

“Do you have it?” the voice asked. It was a low feminine tone, that sounded gravelly. The voice sent chills up his spine, and he closed his eyes and grit his teeth together. He calmed his mind before he responded, so he didn’t say anything that he would regret later on. 

“Yes, I have it,” he replied tightly. 

Lotor opened his eyes to see the other computer screen that he had pulled up. It was a grainy black and white photo from the American Civil War in 1864. A picture of part of a Union regiment, with four familiar faces. Underneath the photo was the label written in his handwriting, Adam, Shiro, Allura, and Keith? He had blown part of the photo up to get a better look at the faces, which he was sure was them. They looked different, of course, they did, but the faces looked the same. 

“Good. Now find them, and bring them to me,” the voice demanded. The connection cut before Lotor could say anything else. 

He dropped the phone on the table and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face. 

“Fuck me,” he groaned between his palms, the tension headache already looming strong. He had a lot of work to do. 

* * *

By the time they got out safely from the fortress, and a good distance away, the sun was already starting to rise again in the sky. They were still recovering somewhat from the healing injuries they got. Finding stray bullets in places they didn’t want to find them. Their faces were marred with yellow bruises, slowly healing as well. 

They were silent as they left that shitshow behind. Allura led the pack as she usually did, but the other three gave her a wider berth than usual, as she was simmering with rage. They could tell by the way she stomped and left heavy footprints even in the dusty ground. 

When Allura had finally stopped, she threw her backpack down and opened it up to see the spare change of clothes for all of them that they always brought. She tossed each pair to them, and they quickly got changed out of the bullet hole-riddled and bloodstained pants and shirts they had worn out. They had known each other for long enough that they felt comfortable stripping right where they were. It was still early out, no one was out by them. Though they still turned their backs when Allura changed out of some sense of modesty. 

Keith then dug a hole in the dirt, and they piled all the discarded clothes into it, before covering it back up. Allura sat down in the little dip of the foothills running a hand through her hair, getting the knots out. Even though it was still early dawn, the heat was already high. It had been a long time since she had been so close to her original home. She wouldn’t have been able to tell someone exactly where it was, as it had been just a small village of people on the dawn of modern civilization itself. But she recognized the landscape well enough to know she was at least somewhat close by. 

Adam wiped the sweat off the back of his neck with a discarded cloth, while Shiro was busy trying to pick the blood from out underneath his nails with little success. They would have to find a place to shower and clean up before stepping back into the modern world. Keith finished piling the dirt and patted it with the shovel he had before throwing it to the ground and sighing. Adam passed the cloth to him, which Keith took with a small smile wiping his own sweat off his face. 

“Well,” Shiro finally broke the silence. “One has to admire the Lotor’s attention to detail.” 

He had his hands on his hips, now wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt. Shiro preferred to wear those, to hide the fact that after a particularly nasty mission, when someone had been smart enough to cut his arm off and then cauterize the wound to stop it from growing back. Though at the time, the adversary didn’t know that would happen. And they hadn’t known what would happen either. They tended to stay away from fire after that incident. It was thanks to modern technology that Shiro was able to get a replacement arm that worked nearly as seamlessly as his flesh one had. But the mechanical arm was usually a good give away, so he tried to hide it best he could. 

“Those shoes were a particularly grotesque touch,” he finished, trying to lighten the mood. No one seemed to be taking the bait though. 

Allura ran a hand over her face. “I had a feeling something like this was going to happen,” she admitted. “This is why we don’t do repeats.  _ This is why _ .” 

They never trusted anyone but themselves; that had always been the rule between them. But she had let her guard slip just for one second, believed Lotor when he said he needed their help to rescue children. He had found a chink in their armor, a minuscule one, but one nonetheless and exploited their need to do something good, something worthwhile. And Allura had allowed it. Had allowed her team to go into that situation and be mercilessly killed. Lotor had set them up, and it was her fault. 

“Allura,” Adam spoke up. His voice was calm, warm, and soft-spoken as it always was. “You followed what you thought was right. It is not your fault. We did it right. We had the right intentions, and did it for the right reasons.” 

“And what did it get us, Adam?” she spat, frustrated at the whole situation. “ _ What? _ ” 

She looked up at her partner. Her brother for the past two millennia. Adam held a neutral expression, and she knew he did not take her acid personally. He understood the frustration, and with his kind heart, he accepted it. Allura closed her eyes exhaling through her nose. 

“Nothing, Adam. What we got was nothing,” she sighed. She shook her head. “The world isn’t getting any better. It’s getting worse.” 

Keith had sat down with a groan next to Allura. His hair was messy and covering his face, coming out of his braid. He was looking at the ground. 

“I checked him completely and…,” he paused, rubbing at his eyes. “Everything seemed legit. Fuck. This is my fault.” 

He stood back up looking at the pile of dirt he just covered. Keith had been designated as the techie of the group. Partly because he was the newest of them all, and the fact that he was able to adapt to it much better than the rest of them. He had also been a forger and a spy in his former life before becoming a member of the Old Guard, so he knew how to create fake identities and find things that normal people shouldn’t be able to. 

Adam and Shiro both gently put hands on his shoulders. The two had adopted Keith as the younger brother they wanted. They had forged a bond that was closer than almost anything Allura had seen. 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Keith,” Shiro said.

“Yes. Lotor is a tricky bastard. Now we just have to make our next move,” Adam added. 

“They know who we are,” Allura said. “They know  _ what _ we are,” she emphasized. 

The whole situation had turned into a shitshow. They were exposed. All because Allura fell for Lotor’s stupid trick. 

“We have to find him,” she decided. “We have to find Lotor.” 

Adam had started to clean up, packing everything away. He looked up, his startling amber eyes boring in. Shiro had his arms crossed and his head tilted to the side. Keith had closed in on himself, moving his foot back and forth in the dirt. Allura nodded to herself swallowing hard. 

“We have to tie this thing off before anything else gets out. We have to cauterize this wound.” 

“And then what?” Keith muttered. 

“And then nothing,” Allura spat. She was so tired. Tired of trying to do good in the world and nothing coming out of it. Tired of doing good things and getting no thanks from it. Tired of the world spitting on her like she was dirt. She had been fighting for so long, and now she was exhausted. She let out a dry chuckle. 

“The world can burn for all I care,” she said with finality. And she meant it. “I’m done.” 

She stood up and kicked some stones on the dirt pile. Adam and Shiro exchanged a silent look between each other. One of the looks that could say a thousand words that only they knew. Keith didn’t say anything. Adam took out a piece of gum and popped it into his mouth. Shiro took their backpack and supplies and slung it on his shoulder as they left that place behind. 

* * *

It was a small town outside of Kandahar, in the deserts and mountains of Afghanistan. War had brought a sense of desolation to the town and the residents. An American army truck rolled through the streets. American military soldiers dressed in army fatigues stood in the streets, and showed a photo to the locals, asking if they had any information on the person. A young man gave a small group of children pieces of bubble gum to share among themselves with a smile, which they happily accepted. They exchanged words in the local language, Pashto. He hoped to show that he was safe, that he wouldn’t hurt them. One of the hired translators smiled at the scene to herself. 

“Yo, McClain, where you at?” a gruff voice called. 

Lance sighed. The children looked between him and the soldier who called him, with walls in their eyes. But he stood up at attention and glanced over to where he was called. 

“Yes, Sergeant,” he replied. 

He walked over to the man who had just been talking with some of the elder men in the town. They were both dressed in their tan fatigue uniforms, his hand on the gun he was required to have on his person. It was a weight he wasn’t fond of. 

“The women are holed up in the house with the arches,” the Sergeant told him. “Take your team with you. Take a right at the building with the red carpet. Get me some information, will you.” 

Lance looked at where the Sergeant pointed and nodded. “Roger that.” 

He gathered his small team. He took Rizavi and Leifsdottir, partly because Griffin and Kinkade were busy somewhere else, and it was better to take two women with him when asking the locals about a suspect. They were a calming presence when needed. They followed the directions that the Sergeant had given them through the town. 

“Remember, keep it respectful,” Lance said. 

“Don’t we always?” Rizavi asked. 

“Never hurts to repeat it,” Lance said with a backward glance toward his friend. Rizavi shrugged her shoulders, while Leifsdottir just watched silently as she always did. The translator, Anisa followed them from behind. 

They walked through a deserted courtyard and into another doorway. Lance heard a woman exclaim something in Pashto, and he saw a group of women shuffling from the ground where they sat as they entered the room. Lance took his helmet off and ran a hand through his hair. He gave a small smile to the women and bowed putting a hand over his heart. He started to speak Pashto to them to try and calm them. To not be afraid. 

“My name is Lance,” he introduced. “I am an American Marine.” 

He saw the women exchanging glances with one another. Out of his vest, he took a photo that he had been carrying, asking around. He showed it in front of him. He switched to English. 

“We are looking for this man,” he said. 

Anisa translated what he said to them. 

“He has killed many of our people,” he continued, “and many of yours as well.” Anisa continued to translate. He saw Rizavi and Leifsdotter standing at other doorways keeping a lookout. 

He raised the photo higher for the women in the back to see. “Have any of you seen him?” 

The women were looking down at the ground, or amongst each other. But none were saying anything. He could see they were afraid to say anything. 

“You do not disrespect your families by telling us where he is,” he tried to console. 

Finally, a woman spoke up. Lance had only learned the basics of Pashto, so he looked to Anisa for the translation. She cleared her throat. 

“She said, there are no men here. To use women as shields is to be no man at all.” 

Lance huffed out a soft chuckle. It reminded him of his mother. Something she would say. He put the photo back into the pocket of his vest. 

The woman who had spoken up then looked Lance right in the eyes. She silently then turned her head towards a carpet that was hanging on the wall. But he realized that there was an entrance behind it. He realized she was telling him the location, but also protecting herself in the process. Lance opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded his head instead, in thanks. 

“Thank you for allowing us into your home,” he said, hands going to his gun. He put his helmet back on, as he heard Anisa translating again. 

He made a series of hand gestures to Rizavi and Leifsdottir, who nodded in understanding and lifted their guns at the ready. He started to walk towards the secret entrance, with his team closing in behind. 

“We will leave you in peace,” Lance promised in Pashto. 

Anisa started to silently usher the women out of the room and away from harm. Lance heard his pulse in his ears as he took a deep breath. Bullets then came out of the door, causing the women to scream. The carpet fell off to the ground. 

“Breach!” Lance commanded. 

Rizavi went to the door and kicked it down, and Lance went in first with a gun drawn in front of him. The room was dark and musty. 

“Stop!” Lance called out to the perpetrator. A gun was cocked but Lance fired before he could be shot. 

The man fell to the ground in the room that looked to be a bedroom. The man was still alive, but he had a bloodstain on his torso and was dribbling out of his mouth. He was incapacitated. 

“Clear! Covering!” Lance said. 

Rizavi and Leifsdottir came out from behind him scoping the room quickly. “Clear,” she echoed. 

Lance unloaded the gun in the room and threw it to the side. He then took his own off and knelt down next to the man. He reached for his walkie talkie and pressed the button to contact. 

“Lima three, this is India five. Contact over,” he called through the device. As he did that he patted the man for any hidden weapons. 

“Leifsdottir, go check on the women please,” Lance called. 

Leifsdottir nodded her head. “On it,” she said before leaving the room.

Rizavi walked around the room. “Look at all this shit,” she said. Gesturing to a shelf filled with explosives of some kind, and the materials to make homemade ones. “It’s a jackpot.” 

Lance didn’t have time for that. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He turned towards her. 

“Not if he bleeds out,” he snapped. “They wanted him alive, remember?” 

The man groaned in pain. “Do not...” he breathed out. “Do not touch me.” 

Lance took out some first aid from his vest. He looked down at the man who was currently losing blood. 

“I’m trying to save you!” he exclaimed. He put a hand on the wound trying to stop the blood flow. He turned towards Rizavi. 

“Rizavi,” he called. “A little help would be appreciated!” 

The man had managed to reach for a knife that had been hidden. He brought it up and slashed Lance in the throat. He started to choke and he fell to the ground with a thud. Rizavi looked over and her eyes widened in horror. 

“No!” she screamed. “Medic! Medic! Man down!” 

Rizavi fell to her knees next to Lance. The other man had already died from his wounds. But she didn’t care. “No! Jesus Christ. Medic!” she called again. She lifted Lance’s head who was struggling to breathe. 

“Stay with me, McClain,” she whispered. “God damnit do not die on me!” She put her hands on his throat to try and stifle the bleeding. 

“Stay with me! Do not die! Look at me! Look. At. Me.” 

Lance managed to look at Rizavi. “You’re going to be okay, Lance,” she said. “You will be. Medics on their way now.” 

She felt him grab her sleeve with his fist, as she kept talking to him. A tear fell from his eye and down to the ground. And then she felt his hold slacken. 

* * *

They had managed to hitch a ride on a boxcar train outside of Juba. It didn’t matter where the final destination was, but that it got them out of the country and away from their failure. 

They had been riding it for a while, long enough that Allura lost track. The boxcar they were in smelled like hay and animals. Though there were no animals in the cart with them. But it was spacious and quiet and that was all that mattered. Allura refused to sleep, her mind running too fast to let her close her eyes for any peace. Though she rarely had a peaceful sleep anyway. Shiro and Adam had taken it upon themselves to try and get some shut-eye and had succeeded. They curled against one another as they always did, with Shiro on the outside, wrapping his arms around Adam. Keith had been sitting against a haystack with his arms crossed over his chest. He had been nodding on and off through small catnaps. Allura was sure he was going to have a terrible crick in his neck, which would make him more irritable than usual. She relished in the silence of it. Hearing the training going over the tracks becoming ambient noise, and the occasional whistle in the distance. She needed the silence to think. The mull over her revenge. Because she would have it. 

Eventually, the noise and her exhaustion started to win over her will to stay awake. She felt herself start to nod off, her eyelids too heavy to stay up. Even revenge had to kneel down to the basic human needs. Though they were all immortal warriors, they were still human. They still needed to eat, and drink, and sleep. 

As she fell into a sleep, visions started to come to her. A flash of a child smiling with a piece of candy in his hand. A discarded helmet on a ground. The closeup of a young man’s face staring up with lifeless blue eyes. The face of a young woman and a helicopter flying through the sky. A badge with the last name written on it. Tan fatigues. A dagger and it came to cut the throat of the young man. 

They all woke up with a gasp. Allura felt her heart pounding and heavily breathing. They had all had the same dream. A dream that Allura hadn’t felt in a hundred and seventy-three years. 

The dreams meant one thing. A new immortal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Peace sign* And now you have met Lancey Lance. I basically took his entire scene right out of the movie because I know jack about how the military works. (sorry!) 
> 
> Please drop a comment below to help sustain my writing life force. Thanks for reading!


	4. Dreams of Miracles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More characters introduced! Yay! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

The dream looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. There were glimpses of things he didn’t understand. The flash of hands cleaning a dagger; the faces of two men sleeping next to each other; a woman with beautiful white hair and a serious face looking out somewhere. They came and went in a flash. 

Then Lance woke up with a gasp. He had never had a dream like that before, and he didn’t understand what it meant. Who were those people? He didn’t recognize any of their faces. Lance sat up, his breaths coming in heavy. He looked around at his surroundings. A familiar white tent setup, and small makeshift beds and medicine cabinets. He was in the infirmary. And he was the only one there. Outside he could hear others clamoring around. Unease curdled in his stomach. 

He tried to remember how he got there. He recalled finding the man in the photo, shooting him, and then trying to keep him alive. Those had been his orders and he had been following them. Then he remembered. A hand went to his throat, where he felt white gauze and bandages on there. He had actually been slashed in the throat. And he survived. A helicopter was heard in the distance. 

Lance fell back onto the bed and ran a hand over his face. He had been slashed! His throat had somehow been cut open. He recalled the faint screams of Rizavi as she called for a medic as he choked on his own blood on the ground. The panic that had gripped Lance as he thought he was going to die. Die at the ripe age of twenty-five. All because he had somehow missed a hidden dagger. In the heat of the moment he had allowed his guard down for a moment and it had almost cost him his life. 

_ Fuck _ , he thought to himself. If he had died, Veronica and Rachel would have killed him. Hell, his mama would have killed him first! She would’ve defied the laws of this world and God, to revive him only to kill him again for being so stupid. He ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the roots. He had so many thoughts running through his head he could barely keep them straight. 

“ _ Ay, Dios mío _ ,” he muttered. It came out more like a hoarse whisper. Lance winced at the sound, realizing that he wanted water. But there were no medics in with him, and he didn’t want to leave only to get in trouble. So he stayed put and tried to figure out how he had miraculously come out of that near-death experience alive. 

* * *

They were all still recovering from the fact that they had all had a dream. The type of dream that they only got when there was a new one of them discovered. A new immortal. Allura felt like her head was spinning. She felt hot all of a sudden, and she needed something cool to help her come back from whatever she was feeling. She put her hands on her head to try and stop the pounding. But she couldn’t get the images out of her mind. 

“What the fuck?” Keith groaned, rubbing his eyes hard. He then went and cracked his neck, rubbing one of his gloved hands on the back of it to get the knots out that had developed from sleeping in such a bad position.

Shiro was silent, and Adam went into a backpack to rummage it. He pulled out a leather-bound book that he always kept on his person. Adam had been an avid writer for as long as Allura had known him for. There were at least a few thousand journals he had kept over the many, many years he had been living and wandering the world with them. The man who had studied sciences in Ctesiphon and pursued the life of a scholar before he died on the battlefield, never truly went away. But he was also an avid drawer, a skill he had picked up later on in life. 

Allura exhaled and shook her head. “No, not another one. Not now. Why?” 

“It was a man,” Shiro said to Adam who had opened up the book and had a pencil in his hand. “A young man. He had light brown skin” 

Adam nodded in agreement remembering the glimpses. Allura didn’t want it, but she had to accept the fact that there was another immortal. She closed her eyes to remember the glimpses. Whatever they could remember they would use to help them. 

“I saw a woman in a hijab,” Allura said. Adam looked up, his face pinched. He turned to Keith. 

“What did you see, Keith?” he asked. 

Keith had his eyes closed and was gesturing with his hand trying to think of the right word. “I saw,” he began. “I saw part of a name tag.” 

Adam closed his eyes tightly nodding along. “Uh, yeah. Yeah...Mc...something. I think.” 

“Yeah,” Keith breathed out. 

Shiro leaned in closer to Adam. “There was a dirt floor, some clay walls.” 

“And a medevac,” Keith added. They were all just shouting what they recalled, a sense of urgency surrounding them. 

“Okay, okay,” Adam said as he wrote and sketched in his notebook. “So, maybe like a coalition,” he ran a hand over his face trying to remember the word. “Medical team!” 

“The knife,” Shiro started. “I know what it was. It was a pesh-kabz.” 

Adam’s hand stopped sketching for a moment and whipped around to face Shiro. His eyebrows were raised and his eyes wide. “A Pashtun knife? Well, that pretty much narrows it down to Afghanistan or Pakistan.” 

He went back and started sketching the knife into the blank pages. Adam had been born in Afghanistan many centuries ago, back when it had been the Kushan Empire. But he identified as a Pashtun himself and had always felt a strong connection to his roots. More so than the rest of them. 

Keith moaned and rubbed his neck. “God, I felt her die.” 

“She’s a Marine,” Allura added. All the clues were coming together for her. Shiro and Adam looked up at her waiting for more information. 

“Combat,” she continued. “Or near-combat duty. It’s Afghanistan.” 

Allura could see Adam visibly perk up at the name. Allura shook her head slowly. “It’s been almost two hundred years.  _ Why now _ ? Why now of all times?” She leaned back against the walls of the boxcar and tilted her head back. 

“Everything happens for a reason, Allura,” Adam quietly said. She was thankful for him at that moment. His calmness was a balm she needed. That they all needed. 

“We have to find him,” Shiro decided. 

Keith shook his head. “No, we stick to the plan. We find Lotor.” 

Shiro looked at Keith with his eyes narrowed. They rarely fought on things, but Shiro was determined. 

“So, what. We leave him out in the open?” he asked. 

“No, we’re in the open Shiro,” Keith replied pointing to them. “In case you forgot what happened in the last twenty-four hours.  _ We’re _ exposed, not him.” 

“Not like he is though,” Adam agreed. 

Keith rolled his eyes and waved a hand between them. “Of course you agree with him, Adam.” 

Thankfully for all of them, Adam had the patience of a saint and did not snap. He just narrowed his eyes and then looked down at the sketch he had drawn. 

“Not like him,” he softly repeated. He closed his eyes and shook his head before looking back at Keith. “You can’t tell me you don’t remember what it was like, Keith. Wherever he is, he’s confused, and he’s scared, and he’s more alone than he has ever been in his life.” 

Keith hadn’t backed down, but his lips were pursed as he listened to Adam speak. Everyone knew to listen when he had something to say. Adam shrugged his shoulders. 

“We all remember what it was like,” he stressed. “No matter if it was a hundred and seventy-three years ago, or almost two millennia ago. We all remember the fear we felt.  _ Remember it _ .” 

Keith sighed in defeat. It was hard not to remember the first time you were sure you died, only to come back to life again. Whether you took it as a blessing from the gods or God above as divine intervention, or as a curse to atone for whatever you had done to deserve it. It was at that moment you became different from almost every other person in the world. Allura remembered what it was like to be completely alone with this gift she had been given. She also remembered the joy and relief she had felt when she had finally found Romelle, at the banks of the Tiber, and Shiro and Adam in the walls of Constantinople, or Keith near the banks of the Rio Grande. Every time they found one of their own, it reminded Allura that she was not alone in this fight. In this world where they stood out. But becoming one of them in a time like this, she could only feel sad for the young man.

Adam finished his sketch, with a fierce concentration in his eyes. Allura felt a surge of anger go through her, and she kicked a haystack that was near her before standing up. 

“I’ll handle the retrieval. Keith, you’ll come with me,” she commanded. 

“Don’t you think I should go with you?” Adam questioned. “I know the area very well. Can speak the language, blend in.” 

“Don’t fight me on this, Adam. Keith is coming with me,” Allura said no room for arguments. 

Adam looked as if he wanted to argue with her, but he stayed silent. Though he didn’t look too happy about it. She needed someone not attached to the land and people. A quick mission to extract the new immortal without any fuss. 

“Oh, come on, Allura,” Keith complained. She shot him a look that quickly got him to shut up as she shouldered the backpack full of necessities. 

“If we’re dreaming of him, he’s dreaming of us,” she said. “That makes him a beacon straight to us.” 

“What do we do in the meantime then?” Shiro wondered. 

“Get to the safe house in France,” Allura instructed. 

“Which one?” 

“The Charlie safehouse. We’ll meet you there. And try to find Lotor.” 

Adam and Shiro exchanged a look and nodded. Keith stood up and cracked his back and stretched his muscles before grabbing his own backpack. Adam ripped out the page from his notebook and held it out. Allura took it out of his hands and looked at it. It had the name tag with the Marines logo on it, and part of the name they remembered from the dream, the rest covered in blood. Above it was the face of a young man with sharp features and dead eyes, and a gruesome slash through the throat. He looked young, almost as young as Keith had when they first dreamt of him. 

“Jesus,” she breathed out. “He’s just a baby.” Something they had said about Keith when they found him all those years ago. 

She looked at Keith. “Let’s get a move on.” 

They both walked over to the large moving door on the boxcar, and Allura opened it. The scenery of the plains was rolling past them. She judged how fast the train was moving and then jumped out of the car, and Keith quickly behind her. They both rolled on the ground for a moment before getting back up and walking away from the tracks and to the nearest place of transportation. 

* * *

Rizavi and Leifsdottir were walking towards the infirmary tent where they knew Lance would be. Though she couldn’t really believe he was still there, and not in a morgue waiting to be shipped off in a casket with an American flag draped over it. 

“I know I saw him die,” she told Leifsdottir, as she recounted the story again. 

“You know, with a wound like that, a little blood can look like a lot,” Leifsdottir said in that overly analytical tone she always had. “Especially when you had adrenaline coursing through your body. It sometimes tricks the brain into seeing things that aren’t true.” 

Rizavi rolled her eyes. She loved her best friend to pieces, but really, she knew what she saw. 

“I was literally holding his neck together in my hands, Ina,” she countered. Holding her hands out she could almost still imagine all the blood that coated them. 

They both paused where they were. Leifsdottir looked over at Rizavi with a curious glance and her head tilted. 

“Would you rather have sent Lance home in a bodybag, Nadia?” she asked. 

Rizavi sputtered and shook her head. “No, of course not.” 

Leifsdottir nodded. “Then let’s go visit him.” 

They both walked into the infirmary tent, taking off their caps as they entered. They found Lance sitting on the side of his bed hunched over and fiddling with a necklace, looking down at the ground. 

“Hi, Lance,” Leifsdottir greeted. She made anything sound like it was coming from a voicemail machine tone. Lance did not answer. “Lance?” she asked again. 

Lance then looked up as if he had left a daze. He smiled when he saw the two of them. 

“Hey Ina,” he said. “Hey, Nadia.” 

Rizavi still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had felt Lance die in her arms. She knew she did. And yet he still lived. Ina walked over to the bed. 

“Can I see the scar?” she asked. 

Lance seemed uncomfortable, and Rizavi narrowed her eyes. Lance put a hand up to his neck as if he were trying to protect it and hide it. He wouldn’t look them in the eyes and his leg started to bounce up and down. 

“Fuck me,” she breathed out. There was no scar at all. Leifsdottir seemed to understand and looked closer as well, her face pinched in confusion. Rizavi could practically see her mind analyzing all the data presented to her. 

“There is not even a scratch,” she pointed out. “How can that be?” 

Lance let out a nervous laugh and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, you know. They, uh, they used this new skin graft or something on me. Modern medicine, huh?” 

Rizavi crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that what the doctor said?” 

Lance had bent down and was tucking his pants into his boots and nodded. “Yup.” 

When he noticed they didn’t say anything he looked up and raised his eyebrows. “That’s what they said,” he defended. 

Then he got up and walked out of the medical tent with Rizavi and Leifsdottir following behind, but sharing a look between them. They didn’t really believe Lance, but they really didn’t have a choice but to believe him. 

* * *

An older woman with white hair that went down to her shoulders stood in front of a large audience. She had a beautifully intricate headband, kept her hair in line, and gave her an air of superiority. Her eyes were a stunning gold color that was captivating to watch. She wore black dress slacks, and a white blouse with a lilac blazer as she walked around on the stage with her heels clicking. 

“In developed nations,” she began, “our average lifespan is seventy-eight years. Actually, two more years if you are lucky enough to have been born a female.” 

Her joke garnered polite laughs from her audience, which she gave a charming smile to. Lotor stood in the back of the theatre with his arms crossed over his chest watching the woman present. He preferred to stay in the shadows when so close to her. 

She pointed with her slide controller remote. “Now all of this is because of everyone’s favorite love-to-hate, Big Pharma.” 

Lotor scoffed to himself. She was trying hard to be relatable and he was just a little mad that it was working so well. She had always been charming and manipulative. It was in her nature. 

“At my company, our research on telomere extension has reversed the chromosomal clock on human stem cells,” she boasted. “My wonderful partner, Dr. Macidus, his manipulation of the klotho hormone will, in time, completely arrest common cognitive decline.” 

Lotor looked over at where her assistant and partner in crime was standing. He had always been a bit a standoff. His hawkish features stretched his skin thinly over his face. Lotor had never seen the man smile, or really express any emotion for the matter. 

The speaker nodded. “Yes, that means we can finally say goodbye to dementia.” 

Applause started among the audience, but she held her hands up. “Now, wait! Our work will add  _ years _ of life to the collective population of the world. Yes, years. Decades, even.” 

The audience started to clap once more for her, and she stopped to smile for a moment. Lotor was always impressed by her ability to act. She played humble very well for someone who was the opposite of it. 

“But, it is not cheap,” she continued with a voice of seriosity. “We need investments. Investment drives my enthusiasm to take risks. These risks will save and improve countless lives.” 

Lotor rolled his eyes with a small smile. That was the person he remembered. Only she could save countless lives. Only she could do it. But she managed to put it in such a way that it sounded good to investors' ears. He left after and waited for her to come out. 

They exchanged cold nods with each other as they got into the black SUV parked outside waiting. 

“Lotor,” she greeted. 

“Haggar,” he replied coolly. 

“It’s Honerva.” 

“Same difference.” He took out the Ipad that had the video footage of the four immortals that had been taken from South Sudan. He hated showing her the things he had discovered. But he needed to use Honerva for his own means. He wanted to take over her business; to do things the right way. He wanted to help save people’s lives. And with his rocky history with Allura, the so-called leader of this troupe of immortal warriors, he felt horrible for potentially throwing her under the bus. But it was the only way. The only way he could see it. They needed whatever was coded in their DNA. So he had reached out to his estranged mother, about what he had been up to the last couple of years. Tracking them through history, figuring out their deal. 

Honerva watched the footage with barely contained glee. As the four of them got up, alive from their deaths. 

“My God,” she breathed out. 

“I’ve told you about my research. It wasn’t a game,” Lotor said. 

“Yes, your _passion project_ ,” she said distractedly. She passed the Ipad to Macidus who also watched the footage. 

Lotor clenched his teeth. “It’s not-” he began before he reigned in his thoughts. “Now you know they’re for real.” 

“Okay. But what about hard proof. Blood, tissue, bone, DNA?” Honerva asked leaning back in the leather seat. 

“Recovering an uncontaminated sample of the site proved to be impossible,” Lotor said. 

“But you promised me hard proof, Lotor. And I expect it.” 

“There was an unanticipated amount of carnage that ensued,” Lotor replied. “The footage should suffice for now.” 

Honerva waved her hand. “No, no, no. That footage is a two million dollar snuff film. It doesn’t give me or Macidus the  _ how _ . That is what is needed.” 

It sounded as if he were talking to a small child. Lotor counted to ten backward slowly so he didn’t say anything he would regret. 

“I need all of them, Lotor,” Honerva declared. 

Lotor scoffed. “No.” 

“No, is not the right answer.” 

He looked at his mother with a glare. He thought of the one he had been in contact with. “I can get you one.”

“I want all of them. Not one, all of them,” she said. “Do you understand?” 

He let out a bitter laugh. “Do you understand how hard it is to capture them? These are extraordinary individuals.” 

Honerva waved it away like it was an annoying gnat. “Consult with your old protection team. Make a plan, and make it happen. That is not a request. It’s an order. And make it quick before my competitors catch wind of this.”

Lotor pursed his lips, a tight feeling in his chest but nodded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Honerva is thrown into the mix. Thanks for all the comments and kudos I really appreciate them! 
> 
> You can always drop some more down below though to make me happy :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Picking Your Battles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first Keith-Lance introduction is a go. Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

The faces wouldn’t leave him alone. He couldn’t get them out of his head. Faces of people he had never met before, but he somehow felt a weird connection to them. He had tried to get some sleep, to distract him from the traumatic experience he had just been through, but the faces just came back. 

Lance had taken to working out to try and distract himself with varying degrees of success. He was doing sit-ups on a mat outside, letting the noise of his fellow soldiers around wash over him. Knowing that he still sweat, and could still feel the heat of Afghanistan, and appreciate the cold water as it went down his throat, helped ground him. Just a little. That he was still human. That it really was just a miracle that he had survived that attack. He could feel the whispers and the eyes on him from the others. Word spread fast in a camp like this. But Lance just pushed himself harder to ignore the prickle it left on the back of his neck. Still human. He was still human. He was lucky. It was a miracle. That was the mantra that went around in his head. 

“Corporal McClain,” someone called out. 

Lance stopped what he was doing, shaking the thoughts out of his head to clear his mind as he looked over. He stood up at attention immediately. He wanted to prove that he was not different. He was just like every other soldier. They did not have to treat him differently. 

“Aye, Sergeant,” he called back. 

The man nodded once and had his hands behind his back in his beige fatigues. 

“Orders just came through,” he said. “They’re sending you to Landstuhl, Germany for more tests.” 

Lance felt something curdle in his gut. Still human. He was still human. It was just a fluke. Truly a divine miracle that any God-fearing person would believe. He looked at the Sergeant, hoping that his features were still schooled. 

“But I’m fine, sir,” Lance finally said. He couldn’t hold it in. He wanted to be treated normally. He was normal. 

The sergeant glared at the minor insubordination. “The plane’s fueling. Pack your bags,” he said. Then he dug into his pocket and took out a pair of dog tags. “We took these off of you when it happened. Didn’t think you were coming back.” He handed the tags to Lance who took them before walking away. 

Lance felt a wave of emotions crash through him. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream until his throat hurt. He wanted to kick something hard or break something. But he refused to make a scene in front of so many people. Refused to embarrass himself, and his family name. He cursed under his breath in Spanish as he walked to his bunk to pack his things. 

When he got to the room, everyone was there. Hip hop music was playing from a speaker, and chatter filled the air. Then it stopped once Lance walked in. He could feel the tension. Rizavi stared at him but didn’t say anything. On Lance’s bed, his suitcases were already packed for him. Lance felt a lump formed in his throat as he glared at Rizavi, and Leifsdottir, and the other members of his team. He glanced at the photos they had taken together. People he had thought were his friends. Then he grabbed his iPhone and headphones and walked out without turning back. 

He walked through the encampment, pushing all thoughts out. He ignored the whispers and mutters when people saw him. He felt his jaw clenching hard and he tried to let it relax, but it was hard. Lance finally found a secluded area to be alone and sat down on a bench with a sigh. He could feel the tears threatening to leave his eyes, and he took a shaky breath in through his mouth as he wiped them. He needed something to distract him. 

He unraveled his headphones and stuck the earbuds into his ears, and started to scroll through his music library. Some song that would calm him down from the precipice of where he was standing mentally. He found a song that brought a smile to his face and pressed play. The familiar sweet notes of “Como La Flor” washing over him. The memories of his mama singing this softly to him and Rachel as she tried to put them to sleep. Lance closed his eyes and let the music distract him. 

“Corporal McClain,” a voice said, shattering the fragile peace he had created for himself. He paused the music and opened his eyes. Two men walked up to him. 

“We’ve been looking for you. Wheels up on your ride.” 

Lance sighed and stood up accepting his fate. Then a woman with white hair came out from a corner dressed in grays and blacks. Without hesitation, she elbowed one of the soldiers in the face, hard enough to knock him down to the floor. And she used the momentum of the other soldier to turn him around and slam his face against a crate. Lance bent down and grabbed the gun to shoot the attacker, but the woman grabbed his wrist and took the gun out of his hands and pointed it at his head. It all happened so fast, Lance didn’t have time to properly process what just happened. 

“Who are you?” Lance asked. 

The woman didn’t seem to be too bothered by the fact that she had just knocked out two soldiers. 

“Allura the Nubian,” she curtly said, her voice a lilting British accent. Then she elbowed Lance, knocking him out. “But Allura is just fine.” 

Allura took the body of the unconscious man with her, stealing one of the armored vans for her trouble. The man was tall, almost as tall as Shiro, but he was lean. His hair was just on the longer side of what was acceptable for the military. He had fine-boned features, high cheekbones, and a good jawline, and blue eyes that were the color of the ocean. Keith had joined up at the edge of the city, and they started to drive through the deserts west of where they had extracted him from. 

They were able to sit in a relative silence well together. Allura was the one driving the car, and she reached over to grab the piece of baklava that she had gotten for herself and popped it into her mouth with a smile. Keith rolled his eyes. 

“Still can’t believe you made time to get that,” he said. 

“There will always be time for baklava,” Allura retorted. 

She let the heat and the dust pass her hand as she stuck it out the window casually. Central Asia had never been one of her particular haunts, but she did admire the beauty and history of it. Keith had only been a few times, and couldn’t speak of the old cities of the Silk Road that used to inhabit the area. But occasionally Adam would drag them back to his home, and they learned to appreciate it. 

As they drove, the heard something from the back. Keith and Allura turned to face it and saw that the truck had opened and the body of the man they had just taken was rolling on the dirt floor. 

“Fuck,” Keith cursed. Allura just raised her eyebrows, and stopped the car, and put it in reverse. 

They both got out of the car, and stared at the young man who was now groaning in pain from that stupid stunt. Keith threw his sunglasses back in and sighed. He started walking towards the man, and watched as he finally got up and started to run. Before he even got three steps in, Keith had taken his gun out of his holster and shot the man right through the back of the head, letting the body crumble to the dirt. 

“You could’ve been a little less aggressive,” Allura commented with her arms crossed.

“Aw well,” Keith shrugged. He didn’t seem to be sorry though as he put his gun back in his waistband. 

They walked up to the body, looking around to make sure no one just saw what just happened. Even in the middle of the desert, one could never be too careful. Blood was still dripping out of the bullet wound hole. Keith groaned and looked up to the sky. 

“Why does it have to be so goddamn slow the first couple of times,” he bemoaned. 

“Be patient,” Allura advised. 

A moment later the wound started to heal, and the man let out a gasp of air. They watched him blink and slowly roll over while coughing. Then he let out a groan of pain and touched the back of his head as he sat up. When he finally saw the two of them he scrambled back, his eyes wide. He looked at Allura with a look of disbelief. 

“You shot me!” 

Allura pointed to Keith. “It was actually him.” 

The man sputtered looking between the two of them. “Mullet man over here? There’s two of you?” 

Keith scowled at the nickname but didn’t say anything. He crossed his arms over his chest. Allura pointed back to the car.

“I need you to get back into the car, please,” she requested in as polite a tone she could muster. 

“This isn’t real. None of this is real,” he muttered to himself. 

Keith had enough and walked over. He hoisted the man up by his sleeves to his feet. “Have you not figured it out yet? You can’t die.  _ Get up _ !” 

The man struggled and then he pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed Keith in the shoulder. He let out a scream. 

“FUCK!” as he grabbed the knife hilt. He glared at the man with a scowl, while Allura just sighed at the scene. She took the knife out of Keith’s shoulder, to which he bit out some curses. 

“Could you please not do that again?” she asked, while Keith continued to howl curses. 

She threw the knife to the ground, and then the man looked at the lesion on Keith and proceeded to throw up on the side of the road. Keith scoffed, but Allura felt pity for him. She waited for him to be done. 

“Who are you people?” he asked again. 

“I lead a group of immortals. An army, I guess you could say. Soldiers. Fighters, like you,” she explained. 

The man pointed between the two of them. “Is he part of this little party?” 

Allura nodded. “Yes. Look, I know you’ve got questions. I get it. You want answers though? Then get back in the car.” 

She didn’t wait for him to answer before turning back. Keith issued one last death glare as he rubbed the now sore and healing wound on his shoulder before following her. Lance watched the two of them, his mind swirling with questions that he really needed answers to. So he sighed and sent a quick prayer to whoever was listening and followed them back to the car. 

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. She pulled up to a makeshift runway, where a cargo plane that had definitely seen better days was waiting for them. His captors stepped out first, and Lance slowly followed behind. Next to the plane were two trucks with heavily armed people, looking at them suspiciously. Lance did not like the look of them at all, but before any trouble could get afoot, a man came out of a small hut and waved his hands, saying something to the men. The men nodded and back down, as the other man walked over with a smile on his face and arms extended wide. The white-haired woman waved to the man, but didn’t say anything before walking over to the plane and climbed in. The man just gave a simple head nod, while Lance tried not to be more confused than he already was. He assumed the man was the pilot of the rickety plane, and hesitantly followed his kidnappers. 

The inside of the plane was small, and filled with crates and locked boxes. It was musty and some parts looked well on their way to rusty. The man and the woman, who name he had forgotten, were not shocked at the state of the plane and threw their stuff down. The man who Lance had stabbed practically threw himself onto the ground with his legs extended. 

“So what are your names again?” he decided to ask. “I can’t just keep calling you the white-haired woman and the mullet emo man in my head.” 

The man bared his teeth in offense, but the woman just nodded patiently. “I’m Allura, and that’s Keith.” 

“I like emo man better,” Lance decided. 

“Shut up,” Keith grumbled. 

Allura opened up a backpack she had and tossed a pile of clothing to him. Lance caught it in his hands looking down in confusion. 

“Put those on,” she said. 

“Where are you taking me?” Lance decided to ask instead. 

“Paris,” she said with her back turned to him. She pointed back. “Clothes, put them on.” 

Then she turned around and tossed a water bottle to him, which he caught with ease. He opened it and took a welcomed sip. He hadn’t realized how dry his throat had become. 

“You got blood in your hair,” Keith muttered. 

Lance squeezed the water bottle in his hand and glared at the man. “Geez, I wonder why,” he bit out in annoyance. He still couldn’t believe he had gotten shot in the head. And more so, the fact that he had survived because apparently it was impossible for him to die. 

Keith smirked a little, and Allura rolled her eyes. Lance took the clothes and water and walked further into the plane. On closer examination, he noticed that there were also nicely packed bricks. Lance felt his eyebrows raise as he realized what it was. 

“This guy is a drug runner,” he concluded. He turned to face them. “We’re catching a ride with a  _ drug runner _ ?” 

“Sometimes you gotta work with people you don’t want to eat dinner with,” Keith cut in with a shrug of his shoulders. 

Allura nodded. “That’s one way of putting it. It gets easier.” 

Lance scoffed. He really couldn’t believe what was happening to him at that moment. He looked around again, wondering how the hell he even got to this point. Less than twenty-four hours ago he was a United States Marine. A respected soldier. Now people will think he went AWOL and is a deserter. A disgrace. 

“Is this even safe?” he questioned. 

“Does it matter?” Keith rebutted. 

“Don’t kill each other in the meantime,” Allura warned. Keith shrugged again and closed his eyes. 

Allura took out a burner cell phone and went outside of the plan to make a phone call. She dialed the only number programmed into the phone and listened to it ring. After a moment, it connected.

“Hey, Allura,” the soft voice of Adam came through. 

“You found Lotor, yet?” she asked. 

Adam sighed. “Nothing but dead ends. This is really more Keith’s expertise than mine, or Takashi’s.”

Allura knew that. But she had taken Keith with her for the extraction, and he didn’t have access to a computer or any of his other tools. They would just have to make do with what they got and have Keith work on it when they met up at the safe house. 

“And he knows we’re hunting him down,” Adam continued. 

“Keep looking in the meantime,” she said. She could practically see Adam closing his eyes and nodding his head. “He’s doing the same to us.” 

It was silent for a beat. “I have the new one,” she confirmed. 

“And?” 

“Well, he stabbed Keith. So I think he has potential,” she said with a smirk. 

She heard both Adam and Shiro howl with laughter on the other end. She knew that Adam would always have Shiro close behind him. They were never separated too far from one another.

“How did Keith react?” Shiro asked. 

“As well as you expect. Cursed him out.” 

“Good old, Keith. Okay, we will see you soon,” Adam said, before hanging up. 

Allura dropped the phone to the ground and crushed it under the heel of her boot until it was in a bunch of pieces. She looked around the desert once more before climbing back into the plane. When she entered, the pilot was already getting ready for take-off. Lance had changed into the clothes she had provided him. They were a little ill-fitting, but it was the best she could do in a short time. It was a pair of jeans, a blue t-shirt, and an olive green hoodie. 

“Good, you didn’t kill each other,” she said. Keith hummed. 

“It was tempting,” Lance admitted. 

She cracked a small smile at him. He had a lot of potential. She closed the door and locked it. The engine of the plane started and she sat down as it began to move and take off on the runway. She kicked a box, which jangled with glass bottles in it. She opened the box and took one of the bottles, reading the label and smiling. _Nunvil_ She hadn’t seen that type in a long time. Allura opened the cap of the bottle and proceeded to chug the entire thing while holding onto a rope to steady herself. She enjoyed the familiar burn of it going down her throat, and when she was finished she tossed the bottle to the side. Then she sat down next to Lance, who had a mildly horrified look on his face, and a seatbelt on. She heard Lance sigh. 

“So why is this happening to me?” he asked. 

“I wish I knew,” Allura said, stretching her legs out in front of her. Keith was already napping where he was. 

Lance leaned over. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You said you had answers!” 

“I didn’t say you’d like them,” Allura countered looking at the new immortal. 

Lance hunched over and put his hands together and started to say something under his breath in Spanish. 

“You praying?” Allura wondered. She let out a breathy laugh and shook her head. “God doesn’t exist.” 

Lance glared at her, a fire in his eyes. “My God does.” 

Allura bit her lip, thinking of how he and Adam should have that discussion together. She wasn’t exactly sure where Adam still stood on his relationship with God, but he still prayed occasionally. Whether that was just out of habit, or if he really believed it, she couldn’t exactly say. 

“You know, there was once a time where I was worshipped as a god,” Allura said matter of fact. The plane rattled from turbulence, causing Lance to grab the sides. Keith just let out a noise of annoyance but otherwise didn’t move. 

“Was that Him?” she asked as a joke. She saw Lance was not amused and she gave a small smile. “Don’t worry, I can’t do shit like that.” 

Allura stood up and walked towards the back of the plane. “None of it means anything anyway,” she said over her shoulder. 

Lance pursed his lips. “You said there were others, besides you two. How many?” 

Allura let a hum out as she unzipped the backpack again. “There’s four of us.” 

Lance scoffed, tilting his head in confusion. “You’re an army of  _ four _ ?” He let out a laugh of disbelief. “So that’s why you took me. So I could join your army?” 

“Yeah, basically,” Keith said, still trying to pretend he was actually asleep. Allura stuffed a gun under the seat they were sitting in as she joined back with Lance with her backpack. 

Lance shook his head. “No. This is some major bullshit. You must…” he started before scoffing. “There’s a good reason. You must have hypnotized me, or uh drugged me or something.” 

He leaned over to glare at Keith again. “And that was a blank you shot me with.” 

Keith popped open an eye with his face pinched. “No, it wasn’t. You still have blood in your hair to prove it. You may even find some skull fractures if you really need evidence. And I was also the one who cut your throat, right?” 

Lance faltered at that. There couldn’t have been any way they knew about that incident. But they did. Allura stared intently at Lance, her face a blank screen, but her eyes intense. Like she was looking for something. They were like him. 

“Listen,” she began. “You already believe in...” she gestured up towards the sky with a finger. “Just keep following that illogic. You’re already on board with the supernatural.” 

Allura took out a jacket and put it over her body like a makeshift blanket. She turned her back to him. “If I were you, I’d get some sleep.” 

Lance looked at the two of them and felt none of his questions had been answered. Instead, he just had more. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to think of good thoughts. Things that were good in his short twenty-five years of living. As he watched them try to sleep, he felt something tug in his gut. He would not go down with them easily. He was not a pushover. 

Lance waited for them to truly be out and in a deep sleep. When they were, he slowly and carefully tied each of their wrists to the wall using one of the many secure ropes on the plane and then locking it. He was glad that stupid training in Boy Scouts wasn’t for naught. And he waited for them to wake up. 

Allura was the first to awaken. She shifted and when she went to move her arm, she found it bound to the wall and she bolted up trying to tug at it. Keith hearing the commotion followed suit and cursed. Lance had a gun Allura had tucked away pointed at the pilot, who she had demanded to turn around. When he noticed them awake he turned to them. 

“We’re not going to Paris,” he said firmly. 

Allura sighed. “Andrei,” she called out the pilot’s name. “Come here.” 

The pilot got up from the seat but Lance doubled down on his gun pointing it closer to him. 

“Sit your ass down!” he demanded. 

“Stand up!” 

“You do not listen to her,” Lance growled. “You listen to me. Land this plane.” 

Andrei turned around in his seat but Allura rolled her eyes. 

“Trust me, he’s not going to shoot you.” 

Andrei turned back in his seat again to face them. Allura smiled at the man. “I am.” 

She spoke something in Russian to the man and took out a gun Lance hadn’t seen and shot him in the head. Lance’s eyes widened as he whipped towards Allura. He turned back and gasped. 

“What the-” he stuttered. “Who’s going to fly the plane?!” 

“You don’t need a pilot,” Allura said nonchalantly. “We can jump and survive.” 

Keith let out a small scoff and nodded his head in agreement, happy to watch this crash and burn, literally and figuratively. Lance grabbed the ropes on the side, coming towards the two of them. 

“I am not jumping out of a plane!” he screeched. 

They felt the plane start to free fall, making Lance’s stomach drop. Keith’s eyes widened comically and mockingly. 

“Shit. Maybe we do need a pilot,” he commented. He turned towards his partner. “Allura?” 

“Yes, I think we do,” she said, holding out her wrist which had a lock on it, that only Lance had the key to. Keith also held out his hand, waiting for Lance to unlock. “I can fly a plane.” 

Lance bit out a curse but took the key out his pocket and unlocked Allura from her binds. 

“You don’t speak Russian, do you?” she asked. 

“Why do you ask?” 

She stood up from her seat looking at Lance. “Because I told the pilot to play dead.” 

At that signal, the pilot sat back up and began to fly the plane again. Lance looked back for a second and then went to hit Allura for the trickery. But Allura grabbed his arm and used his own momentum against him, slamming him on the ground. Lance groaned in pain for a moment before sitting back up. He glared at her and then went to tackle her, but she simply just moved back and held him, and then slammed him. Keith let out a hiss from where he was still sitting. 

“Watch it!” 

Lance got back up breathing heavily. Allura narrowed her eyes. “You really want to do this?” 

Lance went for a punch but she dodged it easily, and then leaned in and punched him in the stomach, making him double over. But he wouldn’t give up. They exchanged blows up and down the plane. Throwing each other back and forth. The new immortal wasn’t bad at fighting, but he never really stood a chance against Allura. The plane banked hard left, throwing them off for a moment. Allura smiled at him, impressed with his skill. They continued on for a minute more, before Allura got the upper hand again and threw him on the ground. 

“We’re done,” she declared. 

Lance threw one more punch, but Allura managed to grab his arm and twist it until they heard a crack. Lance let out a scream of anguish, and Keith made a face of displeasure. Allura then let go and pushed him. 

“I said, we’re done,” she repeated. 

She looked down at Lance who was still withering in pain. “You’re very good though,” she complimented. She bent down. 

“What’s your name?” she asked. 

“Lance,” he said after a moment. She nodded and pointed to the broken arm. “You see? You’re already healing faster.” 

Lance looked up to see that the bone that had been sticking out went back inside his arm, and his skin and muscle were already reknitting itself back together. Lance had a look of mild disgust and fascination on his face. He cursed. 

“This is real?” he whispered. He shook his head. “I got people that love me. A family. People that are going to worry. I am a Marine. They think I went AWOL.” 

Allura felt sympathy for Lance and shook her head. “You’re not a Marine anymore. They’re going to lock you up.” 

A tear fell from Lance’s eye and she stood up and held a hand out for Lance to take. An olive branch. Lance took it and stood up. The closest thing to an acceptance she would get. 

“This is great and all, but can you please unlock me now?” Keith complained. 

Allura rolled her eyes but did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing the dynamics of it. Drop a comment below! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Searching for Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet! A lot happens in this chapter. Like a lot. Enjoy! 
> 
> (not edited or beta'd)

They made it to France just as the sun began to set, and drove the rest of the way to the safe house. By the time they walked through the old cemetery and the stone monastery, it had become dark, allowing them to walk unseen. Lance looked around at his surroundings, trying to read some of the engravings with little luck. 

“I thought you said we were going to Paris?” he asked. 

“We’re just outside of Paris,” Allura said as they continued to walk through the overgrown grass and weeds.

“It’s Goussainville,” Keith supplied, taking up the rear. “It’s been abandoned for fifty years.” 

“Why?” 

Both Allura and Keith looked up at the night sky, which was covered by clouds. Above them, the familiar revving of large plane engines echoed, as it began its take off from the nearby airport. They both looked back at Lance, and Allura gestured silently at it. Lance nodded in understanding. 

They walked in through the front door of the safe house. When they entered and walked into the small living room area, the rest of her team was sitting at the dining table. It was the old clergy home, next to the Catholic church that had been abandoned to time over fifty years ago. A perfect place to create a safe house for all of them to rendezvous at. 

Allura had come in a little worn. Her beautiful white hair pulled up in her neat bun, and her clothes a little ripped but otherwise good. She threw down her weapon, a labrys, down by the door, and walked to the table, falling into the open seat. Keith looked the same, his face pinched up but bored. Behind him, was a young man in a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans. He had light brown skin, and neatly cut brown hair, and bright blue eyes. He looked around at the old place with wary eyes before coming around to the table. Allura pulled out another empty seat for him to sit in. 

A bottle of Bordeaux red wine was opened on the table with some glasses, a baguette, butter, and a plate of eggs. Two of the members were drinking from the glasses, and all had crumbs on their plates from eating the bread. 

“Bordeaux?” Shiro asked with a smile with the bottle in his hand. “Vintage. From 1944.” 

Allura held her glass out and Shiro happily poured for her. She took a sip of the wine before putting it down. A few blood splatters were on her face and clothes, but she otherwise seemed fine. The newcomer had some dried blood on his head. 

“You killed him already?” Shiro asked with an eyebrow raised as he took his own sip of the red. 

Allura looked over at the young man and she even looked apologetic about it. “It was Keith actually.” 

“It was the fastest way to get him to believe us. Even though he had been stabbed in the neck in Afghanistan,” Keith said. 

Adam looked at all of them with his eyebrows raised. He did not have a glass of wine, but instead was just drinking some water. Then he put some eggs on his fork and ate it. 

“Rough get away?” he wondered. 

“Eh. Nothing too bad,” Allura said. 

“Should’ve taken me. I know all the best hiding places.” 

“I know. But here we are.” 

Adam pursed his lips, humming, and took a slow sip of his water. Shiro put a hand in his lap and squeezed. They shared a loving look between the two of them, which had Keith sighing and rolling his eyes. 

“So, are you going to introduce us?” Adam finally asked. 

Allura gestured to the young man who looked uncomfortable. Shiro tried to give a reassuring smile towards him, while Adam was sizing him up from across the table. 

“This is Lance McClain,” Allura introduced. 

“Nice to meet you, Lance,” Shiro said. “I’m Shiro, this is Adam, and you’ve already met Allura and Keith.” 

“You as well,” Lance responded. He still looked uneasy, which Shiro couldn’t blame him for. He picked up the bottle. 

“Bordeaux?” he offered again. “You look like you need it.” 

Lance let out a breathless chuckle, which Shiro took as a good first step forward. He poured another glass of the red and pushed it down to Lance. He then also plated some eggs and ripped a chunk of the baguette. 

“You should also eat something. Not much, but the small bakery a few miles from here makes the best baguettes in the world. And Adam is a fantastic cook, even if it is simple.” Shiro said. 

Adam nodded in agreement and broke a piece off for himself and put a nice dollop of butter on it before smearing it and taking a large bite. The crunch of the bread was loud in the room. Lance nodded and took a hesitant bite before letting out a moan and eating the rest of it with fervor. 

“Really, Shiro? You’re literally going to break bread with the fresh blood?” Keith said, rolling his eyes. 

Shiro let out a bark of laughter. “Well, someone has to. And it sure as hell ain’t gonna be you,” he said, jabbing at Keith’s southern accent. 

Keith pulled a piece of bread and threw it at Shiro. “Shut up.” 

“You know he can’t,” Adam said, taking the piece of bread and popping it in his mouth. “He hasn’t shut up in two millennia.” 

Shiro smacked Adam in the arm. “And you’re the idiot who has put up with it for that long.” 

Lance ate his eggs in silence watching them all interact with each other. They had a certain comradery that only came from knowing each other for so long. When he finished he took a small sip of the vintage red to wash it down. 

“So are you the good guys or the bad guys?” he finally asked. 

Adam had leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked around and let out a small sigh. 

“Depends on the century,” he responded. 

Keith snorted under his breath and ate some of his eggs, looking down at the table. Shiro locked eyes with Adam before looking back at Lance who’s face itched to ask a million questions. 

“We fight for what we think is right,” Shiro said. 

“Huh. Well, how were you all in my dreams then? Because I saw all of you there.” 

Allura had gotten up to clean her plate. She had her back to all of them, but they all knew she was listening in on the conversation anyway. 

“We dream of each other. They stop when we finally meet,” Adam explained. “We saw you in ours as well.” 

“Why?” Lance asked. 

Adam clicked his tongue and sighed trying to come up with an answer but fell short. Shiro leaned forward with his wine glass in his hand. 

“I believe it’s because we are meant to find each other,” Shiro said. He looked at Adam when he finished, “it’s like destiny.” 

Shiro winked at Adam who’s cheeks blushed a little as he gave a small smile to his beloved. 

“Eh,” Keith cut in. “I think it’s more like misery loves company.” 

Adam scoffed and Shiro let out a chuckle, leaning over the table to ruffle Keith’s hair, eliciting a protest from him. Lance turned to face Allura to see what she had to say. She had a small bowl filled with cereal in it. She pointed the spoon towards Keith. 

“What he said.” 

“It used to take us years to track a new one. Keith was the last,” Shiro said, taking a sip of the red. “1846.” 

Keith had poured himself some water and took a sip. Lance’s mouth dropped open and he looked at the man sitting next to him. Keith smirked at Lance’s reaction. 

“No way. Nuh-uh. That is not possible,” Lance denied. “You look not a day over twenty-four!” 

“Yes way,” Keith said in a monotone. “I died fighting for Zachary Taylor when he was still just a general.”

“He died because he was a convinced forger and spy for Mexico,” Adam interrupted. “He was shot for his crimes.” 

Keith waved his hand. “Same thing. And I’d do it again.” 

Lance shook his head. “You are all way too blasé about this,” he said, before pointing to Shiro. “But that means you’re even older than Keith?” 

“Mm,” Adam hummed nodding his head. He ate another piece of bread. “Takashi and I met during a battle when the Sasanians were invading the Kushans.”

It was obvious that Lance didn’t know what that meant. “Don’t they teach you history in school anymore?” 

“Yeah they do, but not a very good job of it,” Lance said. “And when was that?” 

Adam rolled his head back and looked towards Shiro. “When was it Takashi?” 

Shiro pursed his lips. “I think 224? Ardashir was definitely king then.” 

“No, I think it was his son, Shapur. So it would’ve been like 241. I still don’t know how you ended up involved in that battle, though.” 

“Just a wanderer who got bored and wanted to spice things up a little I guess,” Shiro said with a shrug. 

“So you went to battle for an empire you weren’t even born into?”

“Eh, there wasn't a lot going on back then, unless you went looking for it. But I found you so it all worked out,” Shiro said with a grin. 

Adam let out a small chuckle and looked towards Lance. “We killed each other in the battle.” 

“Many times,” Shiro added. 

“Yes, many times.” 

Keith chuckled into his drink, and Allura had come back to join them at the table smirking at the two of them. Lance shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, and then turned to Allura who had kept quiet since they had come in. 

“You’re the oldest,” Lance realized as he pointed to Allura. 

Allura raised her eyebrows and sighed. “Yes.” 

“Not to be rude to a woman, but...how old are you?” Lance asked. 

Allura smiled at the question and his honesty about being rude. Shiro and Adam shared a look between each other, and Keith kept his head down, tapping his fingers on the wooden table. 

“Old,” was all Allura said. 

“How old though?” Lance repeated. 

The sound of an airplane rattled the room they were in, filling the awkward silence between all of them. Allura pursed her lips looking at her fingernails which were covered in dirt. 

“Too old.” 

Lance tugged at his hair and stood up from his chair and started to pace back and forth. He looked at all of them again for a long moment. 

“So we really never die then?” 

“Nothing that lives, lives forever,” Allura said in a solemn tone. 

Lance held a T shape with his hands. “Hold up. But you just said that you’re immortal.”

“I know what I said.” Allura was looking back at the glass of wine on the table. Some of it had spilled out. 

She shrugged her shoulders. “And we mostly are. But we can die.” 

Her eyes got a faraway look as she remembered. Shiro took Adam’s hand and squeezed it as they too remembered their fallen friend. Keith had not been born yet and had never met him, but he still felt the pain his comrades did. 

“He was a warrior, just like us,” Allura began. “A long time ago.” 

“Curtis was his name,” Shiro added, his gray eyes misty. “A simple peasant man. Born in the Caliphate of Cordoba.” 

“He fought many battles with us. And he was a good friend to have,” Allura continued. “One day your wounds just don’t heal up anymore, and...we don’t know when and we don’t know why.” 

Lance didn’t say anything for a minute. “So if we can die, then why would you shoot me? You could’ve killed me!” he asked Keith with a pointed glare. 

“You’re too new,” Keith replied nonchalantly. 

Allura nodded in agreement. Shiro cleared his throat. 

“It is a lot to understand. I think you should get some rest. I’ll show you the way.” 

He stood up from his chair, kissing the back of Adam’s hand before gesturing towards another room. Lance nodded and got up to follow him leaving the others to sit in contemplative silence. 

“He wants to talk to his family,” Allura said. 

Keith shook his head. “That’s not going to help him.” 

“But we all understand. There are days where the ache of missing my family still feels fresh, even if it has been two millennia,” Adam said sympathetically. 

Allura poured herself another glass of the Bordeaux. “You tell him that, then Keith. I’m sure he’ll take it well.” 

Keith looked at where he could see Lance trying to get comfortable in the makeshift bed. He let out a deep sigh and shrugged his shoulders. 

“I’m just saying.” He finished his drink and got up. “I’ll search for any leads on Lotor,” he said before walking away. 

It was a quick study to understand why this place had been long abandoned. Throughout the night, the planes that flew over reverberated in the house, letting all the glass and other things that lived in the small place rattle like windchimes. But it did not seem to deter any of them from getting any sleep. It had been an exhausting few days, and exhaustion often won. 

They all slept in the same room together. Keith had found any area that had been available, and slept like he always did. Leaning up against a wall with his arms crossed and a pinched expression on his face, and his trust dagger next to him. Adam and Shiro had found a small cot and were sleeping with each other, keeping themselves warm and protected. They had given Lance the nicest bed in the room. Allura had sat on one of the leather loveseats in the makeshift living room in front of the TV, with sleep evading her. 

Lance woke up with a gasp, his hands going right to his throat. He felt as if he had been suffocating, and tried to take deep lung filled breaths of air. The noise had alerted the others. They all woke up in an instant, hands-on their weapons ready to fight. 

“What’s going on? What happened?” Keith asked, his hand still on his dagger. Shiro leaned over and turned on the lamp giving the room some light.

Lance was still hunched over, trying to understand what that dream had been. He grunted a little before he shook his head. 

“Just a bad dream,” he gasped. “I’m sorry.” 

The three of them shared a look between them, before turning back to Lance. Adam had laid back down on the bed with a sigh, and Shiro squinted in the light, running a hand through his hair and over his face, before blinking slowly a few times. 

“Tell us,” he said softly. 

Lance had only just met him, but he felt safe with Shiro. He sucked in another breath before he began. 

“I’ve seen flashes of it before. When I first dreamt of all of you,” he said. He shook his head and palmed his forehead hard. “But now it’s clearer. I dreamt about a woman being locked in an iron coffin, under the sea.” 

Lance felt tears starting to prick at his eyes, and it was then Allura came and stood right outside the door, listening in. “She kept drowning and then coming back to life.” 

Adam had sat back up with a sharp inhale. Shiro and Adam exchanged a wide-eyed look, their mouths hanging open. Keith just had his eyebrows raised, but he was looking at the ground. 

“She was hammering her bloody fists and knees against the iron,” Lance continued. He needed to get it off his chest. “She felt like something insane, something furious. But she kept fighting, and she kept drowning.” 

Lance had started to rock back and forth shaking. He could still feel all of it so deep in his bones it was like he had been the one locked in there instead of her. A tear fell from his eyes and he wiped it away, but another one came in its stead. 

Adam had sat up and had a fist over his mouth, watching Lance explain. His eyes were also starting to water, making them look like liquid gold. His face was pinched in pain. Shiro had hunched over with his hands on his knees. He shook his head and closed his eyes. 

“Her name was Romelle,” he explained finally. 

“She was one of us,” Adam added in a whisper. “The first immortal Allura found. Romelle had been suffering alone for so long, and Allura had found her at the perfect time.” 

Lance blinked slowly, trying to process everything. He leaned back against the headboard on his bed. 

“Way back, it was just her and Allura,” Shiro said. “Before me and Adam, it was just the two of them.” 

Allura from her hiding spot had sat down outside the door, her fingers pinching her face in the pain of the memories being told by Shiro and Adam. 

“They ran through the world together,” Adam said. “Fought thousands of battles side by side.” 

Memories of her and Romelle, together in caves and yurts. Sitting by fires covered in grime and their sweat, but laughing and loving each other. They had each other, and they loved it. Fighting together for when good and bad seemed so much simpler. Riding in through woods on horseback, the thrill of fighting humming through their blood. 

Allura heard Adam chuckle. “She was a pit viper in a fight,” he reminisced. They had also fought thousands of battles by their side when they had found them and taken them in. 

“They had been in England,” Shiro said. “We had separated for a bit, still mourning Curtis.” 

Shiro looked up and hissed between his teeth. “They were helping free so-called heretics from the witch trials.” 

Adam was staring at the small bulb burning bright in the lamp. Keith was sitting silently, though he had heard this story before. He spotted Allura in her spot but didn’t say anything. 

“But then Allura, and Romelle,” Shiro continued, “they were accused of witchcraft themselves and they were trapped and caught.” 

“And hanged,” Adam whispered. “Though you can tell how well that worked out. When they didn’t die, it proved their case. And they tried to kill them again, and again. And then they found the solution. They took Romelle and put her in that iron prison and tossed her into the ocean, and planned to sell Allura.” 

“By the time we were able to rescue her, we were too late for Romelle,” Shiro mourned. “We spent decades searching for her though, or anyone on that ship who could tell us where she was cast off.” 

“She’s lived with that guilt, ever since. We all have,” he said like an afterthought. “But she blames herself for Romelle’s fate.” 

Allura got up from where she sat and joined them in the room, looking at all of them. She tried to school her features as best she could, but the sting of unshed tears still lingered. Lance looked up from his bed at her. 

“Why do you blame yourself?” he asked a tenderness to his voice. 

Allura didn’t respond for a long moment, trying to think of what to say. “I lost a soldier,” she settled on. She saw Adam scratch his nose gently, and the piercing gazes from the two of them said that they knew better, but wouldn’t ever push her. 

“I feel her pain,” Lance said. He put a hand over his heart. He could still feel the crushing pressure of the water, and the burning of his throat and nose as it flooded inside. The rawness of hands and knees that had been pounding against metal for centuries. He felt it as if it were his own. 

“Her rage,” he continued. He felt the franticness of her shouts muffled from the ocean. The anger that coursed through her at the injustice. Cycling through it over and over and over. He looked right in Allura’s eyes. 

“She feels crazy.” 

Allura winced and closed her eyes looking down, her lips pursed tight. At some point, Adam had put on his glasses and he adjusted them on the high bridge of his nose. 

“Over five hundred years in a coffin,” he started. “At the bottom of the ocean, would make anyone insane.” 

“It’s the reason why we dread capture,” Shiro stated like it was a simple fact. “ To spend eternity in a cage. It is a fate worse than death.”

The air in the room was tense. It felt heavy with the burden of knowledge and fear of what could happen to them. The painful history of one of their own, suffering endlessly. Lance felt it hard to breathe in the room again, but for different reasons. The idea of immortality, this team of immortals finally caught up to him. It was real. They were real. He was real. And he was a part of them whether he liked it or not. He needed to get out. 

Lance stood up and walked out of the room. He needed fresh air, where he could breathe properly. He grabbed his jacket that was on the entertainment center and went through a door. Allura followed right behind him, as the rest shuffled out of the room as well, sleep properly gone for now. 

He walked the small path through the cemetery that had been worn down by years of people doing the same. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and held it for five seconds before exhaling. His breath misted in the brisk night. He welcomed the chill, felt it helped ground him from where he stood. Made him still feel some semblance of normal. The soft footsteps of Allura alerted him to her presence, but he didn’t dare look back. Another plane taking off broke the silence of the night, but it had become more ambient noise by then. 

“Lance,” Allura called. Lance opened his eyes and faced her. Her white hair glowing in the dim light. 

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, tugging at the roots. “I don’t want this. I don’t want any of it,” he said in a clipped tone. 

Allura held her hands out in a placating gesture. “I know. I know.” 

Lance felt the first bits of hysteria bubbling within him. He gestured widely with his arms. “There isn’t one good thing in any of this.” 

“I know this is hard,” she said, taking a step forward. Lance stayed firmly where he was. She shook her head and looked him in the eyes. 

“But it’s happening whether you want it to or not. I know you’re scared, Lance. But me, and those three men in there,” she said pointing back to the church, “will keep you safe.” 

Lance scoffed. “Like Romelle?” he bit out. 

Allura paused for a moment, her eyebrows raised before she schooled it into a neutral look. She shrugged her shoulders. 

“We’re all you’ve got, Lance.” 

Lance cursed under his breath, hunching over. He felt like he wanted to throw up. Or just pass out and wake up, back in the infirmary tent in Afghanistan and discover it was all just one crazy fever dream. But before he could spiral any more, gunshots were heard in the distance. 

They both snapped up at the noise. Allura had her gun out in front of her in a second, and they both started walking towards the church again, carefully. They hid behind a bush. 

“What’s happening?” he asked. 

Allura’s eyes scanned the surroundings with the ease of a seasoned soldier. She cursed in a language Lance didn’t know. 

“They found us,” she breathed out. 

“Who found us?” Lance asked frantically. 

“The people who want to capture us,” she said. She turned to him. “You’re going to follow me, okay? I’m going to cover you as we check on the team.”

Lance had frozen, and she put her hands on his shoulders gently shaking him. “Got it, Lance?” 

He shook his head, clearing the cobwebs. “Uh, yeah. Yes. Got it.” 

“Good,” Allura said before she got up and ran around the corner disappearing. Lance quickly followed her. 

They opened the door that they had left, which led to the living room. The place was completely turned over, with glass shards scattered around, and bullet holes covering the walls. The flat-screen TV was playing a football match, and on one of the loveseats, was Keith. Allura ran over to him and crouched down, with Lance doing the same. 

“Adam? Shiro?” Allura called out, her gun still at the ready, holding it in front of her over Keith. 

No answer. She then looked down at Keith, who lay limp in the seat covered in blood. Lance looked down and saw that his entire front had been torn open. Lance felt his stomach clench at the sight and covered his nose with his shirt. 

“Holy shit,” he muttered, trying to keep his food down. “He’s not dead right?” 

Allura knocked her foot against his. “Keith,” she called out. “You still with me?” 

No answer from him either. Keith really looked dead from what Lance could see. No one survived an injury like that. Seeing the man like that made Lance feel a wave of sadness come over him. He had only known Keith for a very short amount of time, but he had already grown to like him, in his own way. He found that he enjoyed bickering with him. 

Allura handed Lance her gun. “Clear the back room. Find Adam and Shiro,” she commanded. 

Lance nodded, accepting the gun and got up and left the room. Allura turned her attention back to Keith. 

“Hey,” she said again. She put her hands on his jaw tilting his head up. “Keith. Come on,” she whispered. 

She shook him a little. “You’re still in this shit game with me. You hear me, Keith? Now wake up.” 

He still hadn’t started to heal yet. Allura grit her teeth in annoyance, and fear. She could not lose another one of her brothers and sisters. She couldn’t take that pain again. She then slapped him hard in the face. 

“Wake up!” She screamed. 

At that moment, Keith’s eyes fluttered and he groaned loudly in pain. “God damnit, that fucking hurts,” he said. 

Allura let out a breathless chuckle at the familiarity of his curses. And she let out a sigh of relief as she wrapped him in a tight hug. She let go of him as he leaned back in the chair as his insides slowly started to knit back together.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” she said. “Thanks for taking your time.” 

Lance came back in at that moment out of breath, gun in held loosely in his hand. 

“They’re not here,” he reported. 

Allura didn’t respond for a moment, too wrapped up in relief of seeing Keith healing. 

“How many?” she asked him. 

Keith shook his head, his face pinched in pain. Lance was still trying not to throw up everywhere from the sight. 

“I don’t know,” he breathed out. 

Allura looked around, her eyes wide and frantic. “Where are Adam and Shiro?” 

Keith winced and hissed. “I don’t know!” he repeated. 

“I had turned on the game, and me and Shiro sat down to watch. Adam was reading at the table,” he explained. “We were arguing over what team was better, the usual. And then the door was kicked down and someone threw a smoke bomb and a grenade in before we could do anything. The grenade hit me, and as you could see, I lost the plot after that.” 

Allura was quiet for a moment.

“Lotor,” she said. “They’re coming back. They want all of us.” 

She pointed to Keith. “Stay put until you heal. Lance, stay with him.” 

“Where are you going?” Lance asked. 

“To finish this. Wait for my signal,” she said, grabbing a sword that had been left by the door and walking out.

“Wait what signal?” Lance called out, but she had already left. He turned to Keith who was still healing on the couch. “What does that even mean?” 

He let out a breathy chuckle. “You’ll know it when it comes.” 

Lance let out a frustrated noise. 

“And by the way, it’s not always like this now,” Keith said pointing to his healing guts. “Big wounds take longer to heal.” 

Lance rolled his eyes. “Sure.” 

Keith threw his hands up and shrugged his shoulders. “Just saying.” 

In a black van hidden on a small side street adjacent to the old monastery, sat Lotor looking at surveillance cameras. Next to him two of his old teammates from his youth. Ezor sat next to him, with a pair of headphones over her ears. Her bright hair dyed a rainbow of colors was up in a high ponytail and looked sorely out of place. A gruff voice came over the walkie talkie Lotor had close to his face. 

“Two in transport,” the gruff voice of Zethrid came through. 

Lotor pressed the button down to speak. “No. No. We need the woman,” he insisted. 

“She wasn’t there, and the other guy is in pieces on a couch,” she replied. 

Lotor turned to Ezor who was looking at him expectantly. Her bright pink eyeshadow matching her hair. She had a knowing look on her face that Lotor pointedly ignored and he shook his head. 

“She’s there. And she’s on the hunt now,” he muttered. He pressed the button again. “Find her, and capture her,” he ordered. 

He watched Zethrid give orders to the hired guns and they turned around to double back on the church. 

“Bravo team approaching the church,” one said, as he watched the body cameras. 

The team then went in, sweeping it up and down. Going through the pews that had been covered in dust and sheets from misuse. The stained glass windows gave the moonlight an eerie glow to the place. Chairs were stacked everywhere, and a large cross with a faded crucified Jesus on it looked down at all of them from the altar. From above, Allura stood behind a large stone statue of an angel, waiting. She took a deep breath and jumped down from her spot in the middle of the circle the soldiers had made. 

Her feet made noise but before they could fully realize, she had already started to swing her sword, taking them out quickly and efficiently. In her other hand that didn’t hold the weapon, she used the small handgun to shoot them. Someone had managed to stab her in the back of the shoulder, eliciting a groan, but she quickly disposed of the person and knife, before moving forward. She killed the last person by stabbing him through the chest and letting him fall to the ground. 

It was silent for a moment, as she looked around. She heard the orders of more soldiers coming in and started the fight again. She slashed her way out of the church until she made it through the door, killing soldiers lining the perimeter of the church and moving up the gravel pathway, her gun in her hand. 

From the van, Lotor looked at the body cameras from the fallen soldiers with awe. Ezor was openly gaping at it, not believing her eyes. Lotor turned to her. 

“Ezor,” he said. “I strongly recommend you pull back whoever is remaining, and we leave now.” 

Ezor nodded and spoke a command into her walkie talkie as they started to pack things away. 

Allura took a few grenades from one of the soldiers littering the ground, still looking around at her surroundings trying to locate where Lotor and his team would be. Then she ran towards the church again. 

Keith had nearly healed completely inside and had started to pack as much as he could get. He stuffed clothes and other necessities into a random bag that he had found. Lance was itching to get out though. He walked into the room where Keith still was. 

“Come on,” he urged. “Let’s move.” 

“We still have to wait for the signal,” he bit, as he shoved another black t-shirt into the bag. He looked up, his purple eyes startling. “And we still have to wait for the signal.” 

“This stupid signal!” Lance exclaimed. “How the hell can you even tell?” 

He then walked away, needing not to see his stupid face or his stupid braid. A moment later an explosion blew out part of the wall to the safehouse, stopping Lance in his tracks. Keith came out with a smirk on his face and bags packed, and a large case that held a weapon of some sort. He tossed one to Lance as he walked past, who barely caught it in his surprise. 

“And that’s the signal. Let’s go!” 

They walked through the church that was littered with dead bodies. “Dios mio,” Lance breathed. “This is definitely sacrilegious.” 

“No time to think about that,” Keith urged, pushing him through the door first. 

“Allura did all this herself?” Lance asked. 

“Yeah, that woman has forgotten more ways to kill than entire armies will ever learn,” he said. 

“Damn,” Lance said, both impressed and very scared. “Who are they? How’d they find you?” 

Keith turned to Lance. “I don’t know,” he said. “But let’s go!” 

They ran through the worn-out paths of overgrown grass and shrubs. Out in an old parking lot, two cars were on fire. Allura was waiting for them, blood splattered over her face and clothes. There was a fire in her eyes. She then got into the driver’s side of an old car. Lance and Keith shared a look, Keith nodding his head and they joined her. Before the door had even closed, Allura had put the car in drive and sped out of the now compromised safe house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of information was thrown at you. But you can also read some more about Romelle and Allura in the 2nd part of this series which is like a prequel to this. And sorry the POV is a bit of shitshow, there's a lot of things happening at once, and so I'm trying to not narrow it to 1 person per chapter, so you can get the whole scope of it.
> 
> As always, comments are always appreciated by me. I enjoy hearing your thoughts on it so far! Thanks for reading!


	7. Philia and Pragma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS A DOUBLE UPDATE! Woo hoo! So, if you skipped right to this chapter, go back and read chapter 6 before this one! 
> 
> This is a lot more slow and friendship/relationship building than action. You get some of that sweet, sweet adashi, and some hints of Klance too :) 
> 
> (Not beta'd or edited)

When Adam came to, it took him a moment to realize where he was, and how he had gotten in the position he was in. He found himself on the ground of a metal truck, and he could feel it moving. His hands and ankles were bound together with handcuffs leaving him in a very awkward position. He could see the shiny black shoes of his kidnappers, dressed in fatigues and holding impressive military-grade guns. 

Adam began to maneuver himself into a better position than he was originally in. It was hard when his hands were bound together, but he managed to get onto his knees and then onto his butt. When he did, he started to cough, realizing how dry his throat was from the fight that had ensued at the church just outside of Paris. He then was able to see that there were ten heavily armed guards sitting on a bench on either side of the truck. They were all dressed the same, and had helmets that masked most of their face. Adam eyed all of them for a moment before he looked back down and saw that Takashi was still unconscious on the ground, his hands and feet bounded like Adam’s. 

His wounds from the initial firefight had already healed completely over, except for the permanent scar that adorned the bridge of his nose and extended over both cheeks. Adam reached over and brushed Takashi’s shoulder gently. 

“Takashi,” he called out softly. 

One of the guards kicked Adam in the leg, leaning up from where he sat. His fingers flexed on the gun he held. 

“Quiet,” he demanded. 

Adam ignored him. He leaned towards his love again. “Takashi,  _ xypna _ ,” he said in Greek, the language they had been using for over millennia. 

He grabbed Takashi’s arm and shook it. “Takashi,  _ xypna _ ,” he repeated,  _ awake _ . One of the guards behind him roughly pulled him back. 

“I said-” the guard started. 

“I know what you said,” Adam cut off in English, looking up at the guard with a glare. “What are you going to do? Kill me?” he challenged with a scowl. 

He wasn’t afraid of these men. He had been fighting alongside Takashi for nearly two thousand years, against enemies much fiercer and scarier than the men that hid behind their guns. Adam had seen too much and experienced too much to ever be afraid of men like those, and the people they worked for no matter how hard they tried to intimidate him. 

The man who told him to shut up pursed his lips in displeasure but sat back without another word. Adam then leaned back towards Takashi and repeated himself again. 

“Takashi,  _ xypna _ ,” he said with more urgency.

Takashi moved his head and his eyes squeezed shut. “ _ Eímai edó _ ,” he grumbled to the ground.  _ I’m here _ . 

Adam felt a surge of relief flood through him. Though they had died many times together over the millennia, it still scared Adam that one day he would just not wake up, leaving Adam alone and not being able to follow him. 

Takashi let out a louder groan. “Wherever that is,” he said, still talking in Greek to Adam. 

They always used that language with each other, when they did not have to use English. Back when they had first met, in the third century, it had originally been Bactrian, the native tongue of his home, but the language had long died, and they had adapted and adopted another familiar language of their past, Greek instead.

Adam looked around his surroundings again.

“In an armored van,” he replied, as Takashi hissed as he was able to get into a better position. 

“They used gas on us,” he concluded, for there was no other way. A coward’s weapon for sure. 

The guard leaned forward again, a scowl on his face. “I told you to shut up!” he bit out in anger. 

Takashi was rubbing his head as best he could with his hands, blinking the drowsiness from his gray eyes. Adam glared at the man again, showing that he was not intimidated by him. 

“And I just need to know that he is okay,” Adam said in a calm voice. 

“Aw that’s sweet,” another voice mocked. Adam didn’t know who said it, but anger filled inside. 

Takashi gently touched their feet together. A calming gesture, a simple touch. Adam closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath trying to gather his thoughts and channel the rage he felt in a better way. It would be so easy just to kill all of them right there. But it wasn’t the time yet. And Takashi knew it, and he let Adam know it too. 

Small chuckles were shared around the guards at the jab. “What is he, your boyfriend?” another cooed. More laughs, louder that time. 

Adam heard Takashi sigh, and Adam opened his eyes. His love rolled his eyes as he leaned back against some of the guards. They locked gazes, seeing all the love that could be produced from two millennia of being together gave them. Adam sighed and looked back at the ringleader. 

“You’re a child,” he declared. “An infant.” 

The leader looked to his other lackeys, confusion on their faces. “What did you say?” he demanded his face contouring into anger. 

“I won’t repeat myself to the likes of you,” Adam said defiantly. “But, your mocking is thus infantile,” he continued. 

He glanced at Takashi for a moment before continuing on talking to the guard who wished to hurt him but couldn’t. 

“He is not my boyfriend. This man here is more to me than you could ever dream. He is the moon when I’m lost in darkness and warmth when I shiver in the cold. And his kiss,” he said, sighing with a small smile. “His kiss still thrills me, even after nearly two millennia together. His heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy of seeing. 

“I love this man beyond measure and reason. So, he is not my boyfriend.” For good measure, he lifted his hands to show the thick silver band that was on his left ring finger so they could understand better. One of the many rings adorning his fingers from over the years. Small gifts from Takashi that Adam had kept. 

He looked at Takashi who had tears gathering in his beautiful eyes. A small smile was on his face that showcased how much he loved Adam. Adam felt the familiar fluttering of butterflies and the warmth that came from how much he loved the man before him, that never went away in all the time they had known each other. 

“He is everything and more.” 

“Even after all these years, you’re an incurable romantic,” Takashi said, his voice raspy with a smile on his face. 

They leaned in and kissed like they had everything to lose. Feeling Takashi’s lips on his brought the familiar tingle he always got from it. The thrill of being able to kiss the love of his life, his soulmate, and not be ashamed or killed for it. It was one of the small silver linings Adam had found in the modern world; there were not many, to begin with. Adam wished he could cradle Takashi’s head in his hands, but they made do with what they could get. 

Adam wished the kiss could last forever, but a moment later he felt rough hands on him, as the guards yanked him away from Takashi. He relished in making his captives uncomfortable with his never-ending love and devotion to his soulmate. They smirked at each other from opposite sides of the truck. 

Silently they communicated with each other. A skill they had developed over the years to a perfected art. They bided their time, waiting for the right moment to strike. They hadn’t lasted this long without learning a few tricks along the way. And it certainly wasn’t the first time they had been handcuffed by men who thought themselves to be superior. And they had gotten away to live another day thus far. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the truck move along the asphalt outside to their destination. Adam analyzed every inch of the truck, cataloging what he needed to formulate the attack. He could tell that Takashi thought the same. They locked eyes, and Takashi gently nodded his head as a go-ahead to start the attack. 

Adam looked up behind him to see the guard had become too idle. Adam smirked before he elbowed hard against the man’s crotch, which caused him to scream. It startled the rest of the guards, which allowed Takashi to start his attack. He headbutted the man behind him and was able to somehow maneuver him to throw him over his shoulder. Then he stood and kicked the gun out of his way before body slamming himself to knock the man out cold. Adam moved swiftly as well, kicking, punching, and throwing all the weapons out of reach before knocking the guards out with ease. 

The fight lasted all of three minutes, and with no shots fired. They had moved too quickly for them to react properly, but Adam didn’t care. Adam scoffed as he kicked one of the many guns. 

“What use is a gun if you can’t even shoot it properly?” Adam asked. 

Takashi let out a laugh as he leaned against Adam. “In our defense, we didn’t even give them a fighting chance to use it. But what use is a gun if the person you shoot can’t die?” 

“Touché, my love.” 

They felt the truck pull to a stop ten minutes later. The large industrial doors opened to more men in black armor. Adam kicked one of the guards they had taken out, out of the truck, and his limp body tumbled to the shock of the others. 

“I don’t suppose it would be possible to get these chains off of us?” Takashi asked with one of his winning smiles. 

Adam scoffed at his love’s antics. He waved his hands which were still locked together in cuffs. The leader was a tall woman with a muscular build. She had an eyepatch over her left eye, and scars that crisscrossed her face. 

“Get them out!” she growled. “Get them out of the plane.” 

Another woman stood next to her, but she was much more petite looking. Her hair was dyed a rainbow of bright colors and put in a high ponytail on her head. She crossed her arms over her chest. 

“You heard Zethrid! Get them out now!” she demanded. 

Adam sighed and looked to Takashi. “I guess not.” 

The muscle men nodded and they roughhoused the both of them out of the truck. Adam yanked his shoulder out of the tight grip. 

“Watch it,” he growled out to no avail. Takashi went a lot more willingly. 

As they walked out of the truck, Adam saw Lotor standing there. He was in a long black peacoat and his usual spiffy style. His long white hair glowed in the moonlight, and his blue eyes watched them. He had a neutral look on his face. Adam glared at the man who sold them out. 

“We are usually a better judge of character,” Takashi said calmly as they walked past him. 

There was a plane that was waiting for their arrival. Stairs led to the opening of the private jet with the name Haggar Industries written on it in large purple letters. Takashi went up first and he looked back at Lotor. 

“I suppose you are taking us to the person who paid for your betrayal,” Takashi said. 

“Yes, I was under the impression that you did not work with your mother though,” Adam spat. 

Lotor’s eyes widened and he let out a growl. Adam smirked hoping he would get that reaction from him. 

“Haggar is not my mother,” Lotor snarled. 

“Last I checked she was in fact the same person, just had an alter ego,” Adam said. He shrugged. “But alas, what do I know? I’ve only been alive for two millennia; it’s not like I have seen anything.” 

He walked up the stairs behind Takashi without a second glance at Lotor and his lackeys. 

“It is a nice plane though.” 

“Ooh!” Takashi said from inside. “Adam, there’s a TV.” 

Adam smiled at his love as he followed inside the private jet. “Champagne, my love?” he asked. 

Lotor bit a curse, before following them inside, preparing himself for an insufferable flight back to London. 

* * *

By the time they got to their next destination, the sun had already started to rise for a new day. Lance had been looking out the window, trying desperately not to fall asleep but losing the battle. They were in the countryside of France, where there was nothing to see except farms and fields of green and gold. 

The ride had been completely silent. No one dared speak a word about what had happened, and it left Lance feeling more anxious than usual. Allura had pulled onto backroads until she reached a dead end, blocked by sheet metal that had rusted and been graffitied over. It had a warning sign written in French that Lance couldn’t read, but got the general gist of what it was warning against. 

Keith got out of the passenger's seat and opened up the makeshift gate, allowing the car to pass through. Allura stopped when they were through, allowing Keith to lock the gate up again and jump back into the seat before driving down the long gravel road. They drove for another few minutes until Allura parked the car in front of a wall of shrubbery. 

They all got out of the car, and Allura walked up to the wall of plants, ducking down looking for something. She pushed the branches out of her way, walking in, with Keith following her with ease. Lance rubbed his eyes and then took up the rear. There was a small pathway in the shrubs that had been carved out but overgrown with time. At the end, Allura opened up two doors that creaked with misuse. Another safe house. 

Allura flipped a large switch, which buzzed alive, giving the place electricity. The lighting was dim, but it was enough to see. They were in a small tunnel, supported by wooden beams. It then opened up to a large spacious cavern, filled with items of all kinds from all centuries. Lance gaped at it as he looked around. 

“What is this place?” he wondered. 

Allura had picked up an old fashioned oil lamp. “An abandoned mine.” 

She picked up a match and lit it, putting in the lamp, to give more light. “We stumbled on it during the Baussenque Wars.” 

Lance didn’t know what that was. “And when was that?” he asked out of curiosity as he tried to take it in. 

“1150s,” Keith said with a so-so hand gesture. 

Lance tried not to gape at it. The twelfth century. Allura had discovered this cave in the twelfth century. He put a hand to his head and shook it. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you saying stuff like that,” he complained. 

Keith huffed a laugh. “You will, trust me.” 

Allura blew out the match and lifted the lantern standing up. “I used to keep my stuff here,” she said walking around. She gave the lantern to Lance who took it with a small smile. 

He walked around the large cave, seeing things that belonged only in history books or behind glass cases in museums. A bronze helmet that looked like it belonged in Ancient Greece, a beautiful painting in a gold frame that caught Lance’s eye. He bent down and pulled the dusty sheet from off it. An oil painting of Allura and a man Lance didn’t know. She looked almost exactly the same, but her hair had been colored a brown shade instead of the radiant white it was now. Allura saw him looking at it. 

“My natural hair color was brown,” she said. “But even some remnants of age and time catch up with immortals. I’ve come to admire the white hair, so I keep it.” 

“You look beautiful no matter what,” Lance complimented. 

Allura gave him a smile, one that didn’t seem to be forced or pained. She nodded her head. “Thank you, Lance.” 

He got up again and saw crates and boxes filled with weapons of all kinds. Guns of all ages, crossbows, and a beautiful bow. Lance bent down to pick it up and was amazed by it. It was made of some combination of horn, wood, and what looked to be sinew. 

“That’s Allura’s,” Keith said. 

Lance turned to face the man who nodded at the bow. “That’s her original one. From her home.” 

He looked down at the weapon with new awe. “So it’s old.” 

“Thousands of years old. From Nubia, where she was born,” Keith informed. He laughed at Lance’s expression. “That’s how everyone reacts the first time they see it.”

He then got a thoughtful expression and scratched his chin. “Except maybe Shiro and Adam. They’ve been alive for so long, it probably didn’t mean nearly as much to them as it did to us.” 

“Us?” Lance questioned. 

Keith hummed. “Yeah. They still consider me the baby and newbie. Even with you, they’ll just lump us together.” 

Lance smirked putting the bow gently back down in the pile of stuff he had gotten it from. He crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Really? Aren’t you like two hundred years old?” 

“Just shy. 1822 I was born. But two hundred years is nothing when you’ve been alive for almost two thousand years or more.” 

Lance chuckled. He looked at Keith. He had re-braided his hair again, which looked nice on him. He still wore all black, but there was a certain style to it. It wasn’t bad looking on him at all. His light skin reflected well in the lantern light, and his eyes which looked like indigo were heavy with knowledge. Lance liked his eyes and how expressive they could be. 

“I guess you have a point.” 

Allura had started to make a small fire in the middle of the cave to battle the dampness of it. Keith nodded his head in that direction. 

“Come on,” he said and they walked over to help Allura with the fire. 

Allura looked up at them. She smiled at Keith in a way that held a playfulness, as she looked between the two of them. Keith scrunched his nose and smacked her with his foot. Lance didn’t know what they were doing, but he ignored it. 

“Get to work finding Lotor,” she gently asked him. A frown settled on her face again. “He’s got Shiro and Adam.” 

Keith got serious and nodded. He got up and dusted his pants off before walking over and setting up shop with his computer and other tools needed for hacking and tracking. 

“We’re going to find them,” Lance said, looking at the flickering flames. 

Allura took her eyes off of them to glance at Lance. She gave a small smile and a nod to him. 

“It’s not about if we’re going to find them. It’s about if we’ll find them in time.” 

The story of Romelle haunted Lance’s mind for a moment. How Adam and Shiro hadn’t been in time to save Romelle from her horrific fate. How that hung on the three of them. Lance moved closer to her and put his hand in her gently. He squeezed it. 

“We will,” he promised. He knew they would. Allura looked at him for a long moment and squeezed back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter! I had the whole adashi scene already written so, it didn't take as long to write this one. 
> 
> As always, drop some of those sweet comments below. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Stories of Times Passed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New day, new chapter. Gonna throw some Adashi AND Klance angst to you. Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not Edited or Beta'd)

They had but sacks over their heads when they had gotten on the private jet. Which meant that they couldn’t even enjoy the nice amenities that were provided. Shiro had obnoxiously complained about it the entire flight, while Adam sat chuckling at his antics and occasionally putting in his own two cents. Lotor thought the migraine that had come to him would kill him before they touched down. 

The two had been rough handled again as they were taken into yet another SUV, with their hands and ankles shackled up. Shiro had let out a groan through the sack as he felt them go on. 

“Is that really necessary?” he had asked. 

“Considering what you did in that armored van,” Lotor had replied, “yes.” 

He knew not to underestimate them. Lotor had warned the hired muscle and his own team not to underestimate them, and they still had. He climbed into the front seat of the van and gestured for it to go. In the back, the two of them kept talking and making bets on where they were going. Laughing and whispering to each other through their sacks as if it was just a nuisance. They weren’t scared. They felt comfortable because they knew someone would come for them. And when they did, they would rain fire and blood to whoever stood in their path. 

The vanguard stormed the lobby pushing the two of them. The receptionist knew wisely not to say anything as Lotor nearly punched the button to the elevator to the right floor. When they got there, he saw Honerva was in her office, talking on the phone with someone. When she saw them enter, she hung up and walked out to meet them. She gave a warm smile opening her arms like a mother looking for a hug. 

“Ah, gentlemen. Welcome,” she greeted warmly. 

The sacks had been yanked off their heads. The two blinked their eyes slowly at the new onslaught of light but refrained from saying anything. Dry blood was still caked on their faces. Adam still had his pair of glasses, but one of the lenses had shattered, leaving an empty frame. 

“I am truly honored to meet you,” she said. 

Lotor rolled his eyes and stood to the side with his arms crossed watching the scene. He watched as Adam and Shiro exchanged a look between each other, and then back at Honerva, narrowing their eyes at her. Sizing her up. Locating any weaknesses in her. Adam gave a smile that from the outside would look warm. 

“It’s Haggar right?” he asked. “We have heard so much about you.” Honerva’s eyes flashed dangerously for a moment, breaking the facade before melting back. 

“It’s  _ Honerva _ ,” she corrected. “And what is it you’ve heard?” 

“That you’re a corrupt and crazy woman. So glad we finally get to put a face to the name,” Shiro said with a dazzling smile of his own. 

Honerva’s face pinched in thinly veiled rage, but she closed her eyes and squashed it. She gave a small chuckle instead. She walked up to them, looking them up and down. Adam and Shiro had gone back to sizing her up with narrowed eyes and grimaces. 

“Well no matter,” Honerva said. “We shall do such things together. What they are yet, I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the Earth. Or maybe the saviors.” 

A look of confusion passed through Adam’s face as he glanced with Shiro who just shrugged his shoulders. 

“Did you try to create poetry?” Adam questioned. “Because it is not very good.” 

Shiro let out a small chuckle and smirked at the jab. Lotor found them interesting. Their dynamic was one of two halves of the same whole; they have an entire language developed from microexpressions and body language that only they are fluent in. They act as if they are still newlyweds in their honeymoon stage when Lotor knows for a fact they had been together for longer than he could ever truly guess. 

Honerva sighed in annoyance. “It’s  _ Lear _ . Shakespeare?” 

Adam nodded slowly. “Oh, well yes that makes sense,” he said. He turned to Shiro. “Remember how much a prick he was?” 

Shiro hummed reminiscing. “Yes, he very much tried to, what do they say nowadays? Shoot their shot?” 

“I think so?” Adam said unsure. 

“Eh, sounds right. Anyway, he tried his hardest to get with us, and that didn’t go very well.” 

“There were definitely some very hateful sonnets written about the whole incident, though he probably burned them to keep his reputation intact,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. 

Lotor tried to hide his expression of surprise and bafflement. They talked about knowing Shakespeare like it was just a fun weekend they had one time. On paper, he knew that perhaps them being immortal would mean stuff like that. He had seen the footage of them dying and coming back to life. But truly, seeing it and hearing them talk about their immortal lives with such casualness brought it to a whole new level. It was obvious that the rest of the people in the room were trying to wrap their own minds around it, including Honerva. 

After a moment, Honerva got her wits back together. She gestured to the zip ties that were on their wrists. 

“Can we get the cuffs cut off please?” she asked.

“No ma’am, I don’t think we can,” Zethrid said.

They were still surrounded by other men holding machine guns ready to take fire. Honerva sighed and looked back at them with a fake apologetic expression. 

“Apologies, gentlemen. Let’s wipe the slate clean, and get off on the right foot, shall we?” she said. 

“I am Honerva Diabazal,” she introduced. 

“Haggar,” Shiro cut in with a firm nod. “New CEO and head scientist of this little setup you have going. Pharmaceuticals, correct?” 

Honerva faltered for a moment. Lotor had never seen his mother on such uneven footing before. It delighted him, but he kept his face unreadable. She then let out a small chuckle wagging her finger at them. 

“You two, really are remarkable,” she said. They both shrugged like it was just another day in the office. 

She gestured to the entire floor of the skyrise they were in. “My work here is all about balance,” she started like she was trying to sell to investors. “How do we push scientific frontiers whilst also turning a little profit?” 

She got too close to Adam who was still staring at her. His golden eyes were intense. He then in the blink of an eye stomped on her foot, causing her to yelp and bend down, and then he kicked her to the ground. 

“I would’ve hit you in the head,” he said, “but I still have some manners.” 

“And how is that for balance, Haggar?” Shiro said. They both shared a laugh at the joke. Lotor had to hide his smirk behind his fist. Zethrid ran up with a gun pointed at their heads, but they didn’t seem to care. When it was impossible to die what was a threat like a gun going to do? The other guards hit them in the stomachs making them double over. Zethrid walked over to Honerva and helped her up. She brushed her hair back and the dust off her clothes. Her eyes were an inferno. 

“Ma’am,” she said. “I’d be careful.” 

She composed herself as best she could. “My son, Lotor provided me with footage of your unique talent.” 

Adam and Shiro both sent death glares to Lotor. “Ah, family business then,” Adam grumbled. 

Lotor wanted to say many things to them. But he remained silent. He had to buy his own time. She walked away from the desk she had run into when she got kicked to the ground. 

“But I prefer my evidence to be indisputable,” she said. 

She then took out a small knife from the desk and stabbed Shiro multiple times in the back, bloodstains immediately forming on the shirt he wore. Adam began to curse and struggle against the guards holding him back. 

“NO!” he bellowed. 

Adam began fighting them, by kicking, causing a scene. Lotor had seen enough and he walked up to the group. 

“ _ Honerva _ ,” he called over the noise, halting it. She stopped stabbing, the knife covered in blood. 

Shiro let out a wince and a groan, still hunched over. “God damnit! Shit.” 

Adam was looking on at his partner, his face pinched. Honerva had a look of nearly uncontrolled glee as she watched the wounds slowly start to heal on Shiro as he continued to curse through the pain. Dr. Macidus, Honerva’s right hand had come in and was looking on with keen interest as well as the skin knitted itself back together as if there had never been any wounds, to begin with. 

“What do you see?” Honerva breathed out. 

Macidus let out a small laugh. His arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. He looked at Honerva. “The Nobel Prize.” 

Honerva nodded. “Yes. And a fair few quid to boot.” 

The guards brought the two immortals to their knees. A quiet fury had taken over them. They gently looked at each other and bumped foreheads, breathing heavy. Lotor noticed the small gesture. Another part of their language. Honvera didn’t care though. She had seen a scientific breakthrough. The future of a billionaire. A place cemented for her in the scientific community and in history. 

“My company brought a cancer drug to the market last quarter,” she said. “It’s already saved hundreds of thousands of lives.” 

She had started to pace and then turned back to face them, looking down at them. 

“Yet, in development, it killed a quarter of a million lab mice.” 

Honerva had a sinister smile on her face and she shook her head continuing her pacing. “Now, I didn’t ask for their little permissions. And I’m not going to ask for yours.” 

Shiro turned to Adam. “He thinks you're a mouse, Adam.”

Adam’s bright amber eyes, glaring up at Honerva with not an ounce of fear in them. They still had time to make jokes. They weren’t afraid. Honerva continued. 

“There’s genetic code inside of you which could help every human being on Earth.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We are morally obliged to take it.” 

Shiro scoffed. “What?” 

Dr. Macidus came over with two vials and syringes. “What is that? Wait!” he demanded.

“Hey!” Adam protested. 

A taser came from one of the guards hitting Shiro and Adam right in the back, pulling them to the floor and convulsing with electricity. Dr. Macidus then bent down and injected the syringe into their necks, taking blood samples from each man. 

“No!” Adam weakly said through clenched teeth. Lotor watched his eyes widen in pain as the needle went in. 

It happened in less than a minute. When the samples had been collected the guards hauled the two men to their feet and took them away. Dr. Macidus looked at the two samples in his hand with a grin. He turned to face Honerva who looked pleased. 

“I’ll keep you informed on my progress,” he said. 

“No need, I’ll be working with you closely on it,” she said dismissing him. Dr. Macidus nodded silently before leaving. 

Honerva started to walk back towards her office, with Lotor following behind. She opened her glass door and sat behind her desk, a triumphant look on her face. 

“Well done, my son,” she said. 

Lotor grimaced and shook his head. He leaned against the doorjamb with his arms crossed. “Do not call me that.” 

“Well, it is a fact. You are my son.” 

“I haven’t been your son in quite some time. This is simply a symbiotic relationship based on mutual interest.” 

She hummed and opened up her computer, starting to type away. “Very well.” 

“This is about science, correct?” he asked her. “Not profits or your own glory. Or sadism.” 

Honerva scoffed. “Lotor, please. Save the theatrics. I know you want the same things as I do. You have that gift and love for science that you inherited from me. And sometimes, you have to make sacrifices for the greater good. You would dispute that?” 

She looked back at her, her eyes sharp, and waiting. Lotor pursed his lips in displeasure. He did not respond to her trap. She gave a smile knowing she had won. 

“You still owe me two more,” she said. “Best get to it, son.” 

* * *

As night came in, the temperature in the large cavern dropped. Thankfully, Allura had some old blankets that she had stored years, or centuries ago that she allowed Lance to use. It was soft to the touch and had beautiful flowers embroidered in a variety of different colors. She had said it was from the sixteenth century, a gift from an acquaintance, and a hopeful man from Samarkand. The fire had gotten bigger, as Allura gathered sticks and other tinder, keeping them warm and a way to cook some food that had been stored in cans. Lance learned that canned goods don’t really last forever, but still tasted better when it was all you had. Keith was still in his corner of the cave, on his computer. Allura looked over at Keith who was hunched over, the screen reflecting off his face. 

“Come on Keith, you’ve been at this for hours,” Allura finally said, eating a spoonful of beans. 

Keith sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. “He’s a security expert,” he said. “He leaves no footprints. It’s going to take time.” 

Lance looked up from eating his own can of beans at the two of them. “You got a satellite link?” 

Allura rubbed at a sore spot on her shoulders from their fight at the church. Keith paused for a moment thinking about Lance’s question before nodding. 

“Yeah.” 

Lance shrugged his shoulders. “Follow the money then.” He then took another spoonful of beans and shoveled them into his mouth. “Whoever’s he’s working for maybe? That’s how we track militants.” 

Allura took her hand out of the jacket where she rubbed at her shoulder. She had taken it out, and to her horror saw that there was blood on her fingers. Her heart stopped for a moment, and she got up and walked over to another part of the cave and opened up a box. She grabbed another jacket from it. 

Lance had taken to poking the fire with a stick, as he put the empty can of beans next to him. He shrugged his shoulders. “Though you’ve probably tried that, as the resident IT man.” 

He looked up with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. Keith didn’t return it, but he wasn’t scowling so Lance took that as a win. 

“It won’t hurt to try again,” he replied going back to his computer screen.

Allura shrugged on this new jacket, a black one to hide the evidence. “You know how it works, Lance. Get some sleep while you can.” 

Keith nodded to another part of the cave pointing to it. “Also brought a spare change of clothes for you.” 

Lance felt his eyebrows raised at that. That was what he was shoving into the bags during their quick getaway. It was also a strangely endearing thing to do. It was thoughtful. Keith thought of him. Keith looked at Lance and rolled his eyes. 

“Don’t make a big deal of it.” 

Lance put a hand over his heart and smiled. “Never.” 

Allura gave a small smile at the sense of camaraderie that was already forming between the two of them. She shut the chest with her foot and walked towards the entrance. 

“I’m going out for a bit,” she informed them. 

Keith followed her path. His eyebrows furrowed. “Everything alright, Allura?” 

“Yeah,” she said waving her hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry about me.” 

They watched her leave through another tunnel. Keith and Lance exchanged a glance and Keith rubbed his eyes and went back to work. Usually when someone said that, things were not alright. Lance sat looking at his hand and the fire. Out of curiosity, he slowly stuck his hand into the fire, immediately regretting his decisions. He took it out, cursing wildly in Spanish. 

Keith watched it with mild interest. He watched Lance cradle his burned hand and licked his lips. 

“Just because we keep living, doesn’t mean we stop hurting,” he said. 

Lance shook out his hand. “Did you read that from a book?” he joked, hissing in pain still. 

Keith huffed a laugh. “Someone probably wrote it at some point. No ideas are truly original. But it still rings true.” 

Lance watched right before his eyes as the burns that he had inflicted on himself already healed over. He would never truly get used to seeing that. 

“Why us?” he asked suddenly. 

Keith slapped his thighs and shrugged, his attention away from the computer. “Yeah,” he breathed out. He took out a water bottle and took a sip. “That way madness lies.”

“I thought you were the brains of this operation,” Lance said. 

Keith let out a bark of laughter. “When Adam ropes you into his first lecture, then you’ll see that I’m probably the dimmest of the bunch.” 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Lance defended. He didn’t like Keith being so down on himself. 

Keith shrugged as if he had already accepted that. “It comes from experience I think. Those three have seen more than anyone except probably God ever will.” 

Lance couldn’t argue with that logic. From the short time he had been with them, it was obvious that Allura, Adam, and Shiro had seen and experienced so many things. Keith had too, but it was hard to compare hundreds of years with thousands. Lance felt himself getting up from the fire to sit next to Keith. He brought the blanket with him and offered to share it. Keith stared at it for a moment before allowing it to be wrapped around him as well. 

“That may be true, but at least you know how to use a computer,” he joked. Keith huffed a laugh and nodded. 

“Yeah, Shiro is practically allergic to technology. Adam barely knows how to use a cellphone and still wants to rely on letters and Morse Code. Allura, she doesn’t even bother most days.” 

They shared a laugh at their three teammates. “As the resident millennial, I can say that I know how to work my way across the electric frontier. So you’ll at least have me.” 

“Good, being the youngest automatically meant I was the tech guy. It’ll be nice to have help, and push most of it on you.”

Lance smacked him in the arm, which got a surprised yelp from Keith who hadn’t been expecting it. “Listen, I am the youngest of five. I will not be pigeon-holed like that again.” 

“Good luck with that.” 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence together. Sharing body heat under a blanket hundreds of years old. The only noise was the crackling of the fire. 

“I’ll tell you what I wonder,” Keith broke, looking at the embers rising up. “Why you? And Why now?” 

Lance looked over at Keith. His eyes were far away, like something was haunting his thoughts. Keith was the person who was the most closed off from this newfound team. Lance didn’t want to scare him by prying too much, too fast. So he remained silent. Then he changed the subject. 

“How old is Allura? Really?” he asked. 

Keith shrugged his shoulders. “She says she doesn’t remember. And she may not. But I don’t know.” 

He blinked away from the fire and looked back at Lance. His eyes present again. “But what I do know is that she was alone for a long time before she found anyone like her. A very long time.” 

They lapsed back into silence until Keith broke it again. He took a sip of water. “You said you had siblings?” 

Lance nodded, an aching feeling spreading through his chest as he thought about them. It had been such a crazy few days he hadn’t had any time to think. 

“Yeah, Luis, Marco, Veronica, and Rachel,” he said, their faces passing through his mind as he listed them. “Came from a large family.” 

Keith hummed. Lance looked at the profile of his face. “You have anyone?” 

“It was just me and my dad. But he died when I was ten, and I was taken in by a family that loved me. It was everything you could dream a family of. They were hacendados, and when I was older I helped herd cattle with their oldest son, Jaime . My best friend. My first love.” 

A smile broke on his face. “You were a cowboy?” 

“They were called vaqueros back then. But yeah. I was born in Texas, when it was part of Mexico, and grew up during the rebellion, and when it became a republic. But being sandwiched between Mexico and the United States it didn’t feel like it. Mexico saw it as a rebellious state, and then the US annexed it, and then I got roped into fighting that stupid war.” 

The memories didn’t seem to be happy ones. But Lance listened intently to his story. He was happy Keith was opening up to him. 

“I wasn’t a big fan of the US coming in. I had been perfectly fine before. So it was a bit of a no brainer to be a spy for Mexico. My family had been Mexican. Mexico had welcomed my dad's family from Korea. It also helped that I had talents with forging too. An eye for detail. But then I got caught and then killed.” 

“And then you met them,” Lance said. Keith nodded. 

“Yup,” he said, popping the P. “They had dragged my body before they could bury me, and I woke up for the first time since death, in a situation similar to this. They were sitting next to a campfire at night, cooking food. I hadn’t believed them either. Adam shot Shiro right in the head to prove the point.” 

“So that’s where you learned it from,” Lance pointed out. “A lot makes sense now.” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I guess. They took me in no questions asked. Adam and Shiro brought me everywhere they went the first decade, showing me the ropes. And it was great.”

Lance sensed a but coming. “But I missed the family I had. I missed Jaime , and I wanted to see him. So I did against the advice of the team, but he was sick when I finally got to. He was older. And he had moved on, thinking me dead.” 

Lance nodded, not knowing how to reply. He gently put a hand on his leg and squeezed in solidarity. Keith shook his head, some of his hair going over his eyes as he looked down. He pushed it back when he looked back at Lance. 

“The only way forward is now though,” he said. 

“What do you mean?” 

He gestured to Lance. “You’ll always and forever be the young man right there. Just like I will perpetually look twenty-four. But everyone around you, everyone you love, is going to grow old, is going to suffer, and then is going to die.” 

The haunted look in Keith’s eyes came back. Lance felt a weight settle in his chest. Another part of this new life showing its head to Lance. He would never age, but his entire family will, and they will die while he still lives. It was too much. He heard Keith sniffle a little as he wiped his nose. 

“And if you try to touch their lives, well they will get to learn your secret. They will beg you to share it with them, and you won’t be able to. And they won’t believe you of course. And they will tell you that you don’t love them. That your love is weak, or that you’re selfish. And you will never forget the hate...and despair in their eyes.” 

Lance had tears coming from his eyes at Keith’s words. Keith also had some tears. He wiped them. “Trust me, it is not a mistake you want to make. It will save you a lot of pain. A pain that will linger for a long time.” 

They sat in a long silence. Lance took in everything that Keith told him. The warning against ever contacting his family again. His family meant everything to him. The pain that Keith held inside of him. He let out a soft exhale. 

“Maybe you won’t have to feel so alone anymore,” he whispered. 

Keith glanced and kept his gaze on Lance. The flames of the fire flickering in his eyes. He tilted his head to the side and hummed before taking a sip of his water. 

“Maybe.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Drop some comments below :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Not Meant to Be Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

Allura had made a hasty escape from the cave, leaving Keith and Lance behind. She took the car and drove down the rocky roads of the hillside they had been on, and into the small village that resided at the base of it. She parked just outside, and then went on foot to avoid suspicion or any unwanted attention to her. 

The streets were not crowded but garnered a calm night atmosphere. Lamps lit the roads and sidewalks for people to see. Restaurants with outdoor dining were still open, allowing the chatter of ordinary people to fill the air. In the village center, a musician was playing a soft tune on his guitar and singing, hoping those passing by would drop some money. Allura went over and dropped a hundred euro banknote into the case. The man’s eyes widened for a fraction, pausing in his playing but Allura walked away before he could. As she continued down the sidewalks, the soft melodies started to play again. 

On a corner, there was a convenience store open. Allura walked in, the bell letting a jingle to let the workers know she had arrived. The store was lit in fluorescent lights, giving it a sterile appearance. It was quiet except for the music coming through the speakers of the store. As a general rule, she tried to stay away from places like these. But in the modern world, it was near impossible to. And she needed supplies. 

She grabbed a carrier and slowly made her way through the aisles, reading the markers at the end telling her where to find what she needed. She walked towards the medical aisles, trying to appear casual. There were medicines of all kinds stacked next to each other, things she knew people used to kill each other for. But she had never truly had to worry about such things until now. She made eye contact with the cashier, who was filling her till with coins. Allura quickly looked away, back at the shelves trying to figure out what she needed. After a moment, she sighed and just started to push things into the carrier. She got some bandaids and rubbing alcohol, as well as other things she thought would make sense to treat a stab wound. She also dropped some chocolate bars for later. 

Allura walked up to the cashier with a small smile, hoping it didn’t look strained or forced. She put the carrier of items on the counter, and the girl started to take them out individually to scan into the system. The woman kept looking at her, which Allura pointedly ignored. She started to drop the items into a plastic bag. Outside the store, the wailing of police sirens echoed. Allura turned toward it out of sheer habit and instinct. She figured it would be nothing and turned toward the girl. 

“Do you have a bathroom?” she asked. 

The girl looked at her for a moment, as she continued to bag. She shook her head. “No.” 

Allura internally cursed. She needed a way to address those wounds, but she refused to go back to the cave. She did not need Keith and Lance worrying over her. The girl seemed to sense her inner turmoil. 

“But we have a storeroom,” she said. A peace offering. A solution. Her eyebrows furrowed and she leaned forward. “Do you need help?”

Allura would have wept with relief. But she kept her emotions in check, biting her lip for a moment before nodding. The girl blinked slowly, putting the bag of things down. She looked around the store for a moment before taking the bag and gesturing for Allura to follow her. She got out from behind the table and they walked to a door that read  _ Employés seulement _ . The girl opened it with a key she took out of her pocket and ushered her in. 

It was dimly lit in the back. There wasn’t much, except a few plastic chairs, and wooden shelves stocked with water and snacks that the employees of the store kept for themselves. The girl gestured for her to sit, as she got the supplies situated to help. Allura took off the jacket, revealing the tank top that she hadn’t taken off since she rescued Lance. It was filthy, but she didn’t care. 

“What is your name?” she gently asked, her voice accented. 

Allura sighed for a moment before allowing herself to share. This girl was doing a kindness to her, it was only fair if Allura showed some back. 

“Allura,” she whispered. 

The girl looked back with a smile on her face. “French,” she said. 

Allura raised her eyebrows and shrugged. The French did take the credit for the name, but it had been her name long before the French even existed. The girl took the silence in stride, turning her attention back to the supplies. 

“My name is Melenor,” she introduced. 

Allura felt a jolt go through her body at the name. It had been a name she had long forgotten, but a familiar one. Flashes of memories of another lifetime came to her mind. A soft voice, warm hugs on cold nights. The wails of relief when Allura had miraculously come back to life the first time after falling victim to a plague. That had been the first time Allura experienced the gift, but at the time she had not known it. She had accepted that it had been a miracle from the gods at face value. It would only be when she was struck down in battle from raiding Egyptians and came back, that she realized she could not die. 

“Melenor,” she muttered, the syllables falling naturally from her tongue. 

She nodded and hummed. “ _ Oui _ , but I go by Mel.” 

Mel turned back around with a smile on her face. In her hand was a cotton ball, and the bottle of rubbing alcohol. She walked towards Allura. Allura pointed to where the wound was, and when she saw it she let out a hiss. She hadn’t seen it, but she hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. 

“My mother’s name was Melenor,” Allura said. Mel started to rub the cotton ball, which caused Allura to hiss in pain. 

“Sorry,” she apologized, but kept going. “Lucky me, for sharing a name with your mother.” 

Allura chanced a look and had to turn back immediately. It was definitely deep, but it had stopped bleeding at least. She felt her stomach clench at the sight of the wound on her. Mel opened up a pack of bandaids and started to peel one and put it on, to close the gap just a little. 

“Stitches would be better,” she suggested, “but this will help in the meantime.” 

Allura looked at Mel as she meticulously worked on her. 

“You haven’t asked,” she said.

Mel sighed, biting her lip. She applied one last bandaid on and shrugged her shoulders. She looked at Allura, with startling green eyes. 

“Your business is yours. You needed help. What does it matter why?” she finally replied. She put on some medical tape over the bandages to keep them firm. 

Allura remained silent, taking in the words she said. She had been so used to always looking over her shoulder. On the move for fear that people would find her and take advantage of her. The only people she could trust were the team, who had the same reasons she did to live the way they did. They took care of each other. She rarely thought about how ordinary people like Mel, may not be looking for something from her. That she was merely being a good person. A kind person, and doing this out of the goodness of her heart.

“Today, I put this on your wound,” she said, breaking Allura from her thoughts. “Tomorrow, you help someone up when they fall.” 

Allura looked at Mel, who had a kind smile on her face. “We are not meant to be alone.” 

She finished and sat back. “There you go. This should do.” 

Allura gave a smile in thanks as she put her jacket back on again, over the now bandaged wound. She nodded. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. She hoped Mel knew how much this meant to her in the two words she could manage out. 

Mel stood up and started to clean up the supplies. “It is the right thing to do.” 

Allura spared one last look at the young woman who had helped her with no questions asked. She felt a warmth crawl in her chest that she had not felt in centuries. She would remember that kind deed for the rest of her life. Allura snuck out of the storage room and the store without a goodbye. 

She walked back into her car, and the thoughts of Curtis came to her mind. It had been on a street like the one she found herself on. Cobblestones, and small buildings lining them. Screams had erupted as Catholic Parisians had stormed the streets, slaying the Huguenots who had gathered for the wedding of Henry Navarre to the King's sister. They had been in Paris, under the rumors that something was going to happen. But they had figured out the plans too late, and could not prevent the slaughter. 

In the heat of the moment and the chaos of it, they had gotten caught in the middle. Allura closed her eyes, still able to visualize it as if it were yesterday. They had all been stabbed, but they had all been able to come back, except Curtis. He lay on the streets of Paris, blood pouring out a wound from his stomach. 

Adam and Shiro both crouched next to him, their eyes frantic and panicking. Adam had put his hands on the wound trying to stop the blood flood, not caring that it covered his elbows in red. Romelle had been down there as well, her blonde hair in disarray. She had looked up from the ground, her blue eyes wide. 

“Allura,” she had called out. “Allura, why won’t it stop?” 

Allura had been struck silent at the sight. She had bent down next to them, where Curtis was still moaning in pain. His baby blue eyes, like the seas of the Mediterranean in pain. Shiro and Adam were muttering things to his ear, trying to comfort their friend and lover. They had taken the man in with ease and found a lovely romance in each other. 

Allura had shaken her head. “No,” she said. “This can’t be happening.” 

“Curtis,” she said softly. Shiro was pushing his hair back, a familiar gesture of comfort. Curtis had opened his eyes just a sliver to look towards Romelle. He muttered something in Arabic that they couldn’t understand properly. 

“What?” Adam had asked, leaning closer. “What was it you said, love?” 

Curtis hissed in pain again but managed to look at the two of them. He let out a tender smile, his teeth covered in blood.

“It’s time,” he said again, clearer that time. 

Shiro had grabbed his other hand from Adam, now both covered in Curtis’ blood. Allura and Romelle shook their heads vehemently. Romelle let out a gasp of pain and tears streamed from her eyes. 

“It’s impossible,” Allura had wailed. 

“It’s time,” Curtis repeated in a shaky breath. 

Adam had dipped his head closer, his eyes closed, and Shiro followed suit. They started to pray together in hushed tones. Another familiar comfort among the three of them. Tears streaming down their faces, and onto the ground. They prayed until Allura saw the life leave Curtis’ eyes. 

Allura opened her eyes, expelling the memory from her thoughts. She wiped a stray tear that had come from reliving it. The last time they had seen one of their own die from wounds, they thought would heal up. The only time they had seen it. Allura put a hand on her shoulder where the cut had been cleaned up and bandaged. A cut that did not heal as it should have. Curtis’ voice echoing in her head, four hundred and fifty years later. 

_ It’s time _ , he had said. It seemed as if he was now talking to her as well. 

* * *

Lotor looked through a glass window at the lab. On two beds were Adam and Shiro who had been strapped to the beds upon their initial introduction. They were both shirtless, showcasing the fact that Shiro had half of his left arm cut off and was instead replaced with a beautiful looking prosthetic. Lotor wanted to know how that was possible, given it seemed that everything grew back on them, even limbs. Surrounding them were monitors showing their vitals and heartbeats. Shiro had still been passed out, while Adam remained awake. 

“How long will the testing take?” he wondered.

Honerva had a clinical look on her face as she wrote something down on a legal pad she had in her arms. 

“Until we have results we can replicate,” she replied. 

Lotor observed as Dr. Macidus completed various experiments on Adam. He had watched as the man stuck a long and thick needle into the side of Adam’s chest, causing the man to wince and hiss in pain. 

“Do you feel the wound trying to close?” he asked the man, who had his eyes screwed tight. The monitor had been going off the charts. 

On the carts were various other things they had stuck in him, seeing how the body reacted. Bullets were pushed out, and lacerations no matter how deep always healed with little to no scarring. They had even cut off a finger, only to see it grow back fully again. The doctor had induced him with a lethal amount of drugs to subdue him, but even that only seemed to knock him out for a moment before he gasped back to life, screaming and threatening them in languages Lotor had never even heard of. Macidus had only looked at it with a cool and clinical eye, taking notes on the progress and observations. 

“Remarkable,” he muttered to himself, taking the needle out, and watching as the hole closed immediately. 

Adam had glared at the man’s back, panting. “You will not be able to give her what she wants,” he said. 

Macidus had ignored him for a moment picking up another instrument. “You think I go too far?” he had asked. “That I am unethical?” 

Adam had leaned back on the table where he was strapped. His eyes cool. “I would say immoral.” 

Macidus had put another sample in a bottle, shaking it in Adam’s face. Adam gave no reaction, his face neutral though he had just been relegated to torture. “I believe this can change the world,” he said to him. 

Adam had raised his eyebrows and grimaced for a moment. “A fine justification,” he replied. “But I’ve heard it so many times before.” 

Macidus had started at Adam for a moment, and then back at Shiro who was still passed out. He glared silently at Adam before walking away with his samples. 

As he looked back at the tranquilness of the room, he shook his head. Seeing Adam being tortured made Lotor uneasy. There were better, more humane ways of going about this. 

“You don’t need them for that,” he had replied to Honerva. “You got the samples. The blood, the DNA, tissue, bone. Everything you need you to have.” 

Honerva closed her eyes and tsked at him. “Oh, Lotor. You have so much you yet need to learn. I know you know about the concept of proprietary data. And they’re the product.” 

Lotor glanced at his mother with a disgusted look. She didn’t seem to care though. She shrugged her shoulders. 

“They go into the vault. They stay there under lock and key.” 

“For…” he began trailing off. He tried to figure out what was going through that mind of hers. “Forever?” 

She scoffed waving her hand towards the lab where they lay. “We can’t have them strolling back into the world,” she said. “Into my competitor’s laps. If this takes years, maybe decades, what does it matter to them? Hmm? They’re immortal. They can’t die.” 

Honerva closed her eyes to calm herself back down. “If we can unlock their genetic code, the world will be begging us for the key.” 

It was at that moment, they heard Shiro gasp and try to sit up. Adam lazily turned his head toward the noise, looking at his partner in the opposite bed from him. Shiro looked between Adam and the room quickly taking in his surroundings, his gray eyes wide and alert. Then he sighed and closed his eyes. 

“As much as I like watching you sleep, I’m glad you’re awake,” Adam said with a smile. 

“Bedhead?” Shiro had asked jokingly. They shared a small chuckle, and Adam made a face. 

“Nicely tousled, I’d say.” 

It was amazing to Lotor, to see the two of them even after the adversary they went through, still having time to make jokes to one another. It took a will of steel to remain that way, that only very special people had. 

Shiro tried to adjust himself, but couldn’t due to the strap that went across his torso. Adam had looked back up at the ceiling, their heartbeats resting. 

“Do you know, I was thinking about Malta,” he said to Shiro in that soft tone he always carried. 

Shiro pursed his lips. “What time in Malta?” he asked. 

Adam had a small smirk on his face, and Lotor again witnessed the exchange of that secret language between them. Shiro’s face broke into a grin and he nodded his head slowly. 

“Ah,  _ that _ time in Malta,” he replied with a salacious tone. 

They remained silent for a moment. 

“We should go back there,” Adam had said. Lotor noticed he had switched languages, that they were speaking Greek, but it was a dialect that he wasn’t very familiar with. Ancient Greek perhaps? 

Shiro had licked his lips and nodded. “That would be nice,” he replied in that language. 

“When we get out of here, we will,” Shiro promised. 

Lotor had seen enough then. He turned around and left the observation room, his thoughts scrambled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...some plot twists (unless you've seen the movie lol) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Drop some comments and kudos below. 
> 
> Also there's some wonderful fanart of this you can find here: https://adam-shirogane-stan.tumblr.com/post/628644101360861184/art-based-on-adashisoul-s-old-guard-au-fic


	10. Each Betrayal Begins With Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop another plot twist comin at ya. Enjoy! 
> 
> (not edited or beta'd)

After the heart to heart they had, Keith had gone off to continue his search for Lotor. Lance continued on his exploration of the cave and all its wonders it had to offer. The two of them had lapsed in silence, that Lance wouldn’t consider comfortable, but it did not linger into awkward either. It was just an ordinary silence, a natural one. Keith had shared a very deep and personal history with Lance, a virtual stranger. It was only fair for him to give the man some space after the fact. 

Lance didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, Keith put the search on hold and decided to try and get some sleep. He took a small blanket that he had found and used it as a pillow as he laid down on the stone. The fire had started to die down into smoldering embers. It was not long before Lance followed his idea to try and get some shut-eye as well. He had gotten the feeling that you took sleep whenever you could get it. 

It did not last long though. Flashes of a nightmare came to Lance, a flashback of when he had fatefully shot that man in Afghanistan, who had spearheaded this entire thing. Lance woke up with a gasp, sitting up. He looked around his surroundings for a moment, trying to get his bearings. Lance closed his eyes tightly, taking his arms out of the blanket to rub at them. He glanced over, to see Keith still sleeping on the other side. He cursed to himself in Spanish, shaking his head. He knew he would not be able to get any more sleep, so he got up, tossing the blanket off of him. 

He gently stepped around the small fire that was now just softly glowing and went to the bag of clothes that had been packed for him by Keith. It was another pair of jeans and a white and blue baseball t-shirt. There was even some clean underwear that Lance was eternally grateful for. He took the clothes out and changed out quickly, and stuffed the dirt ones back in the duffle. He kept the olive-colored zip-up sweatshirt though and put it on over his t-shirt. 

Lance then walked out of the cave, through the narrow mine tunnels towards the entrance they had come in the day before. Dawn was just breaking when he emerged through the bushes. It was a crisp morning, the cold piercing his lungs, but it was a welcome feeling. The sky was a lilac, as the sun started to rise over the horizon. It made the cliffside they were on beautiful to look at. The white stone reflecting the light around them. 

Leaning against their car was Allura, in a large black coat that only could look Stylish on her. Her white hair was flowing down her shoulders, and she had only taken a part of it back into a small bun. She was slowly eating a chocolate bar, looking out at nothing. When she saw Lance, they didn’t say anything, but she held something up in her other hand. It was a familiar Iphone. The lock screen lit up, and she continued to chew. Lance saw her tongue poke in her cheek as she tried to get something out of her teeth. 

“Your family?” she asked.

“You have my phone?” he replied, walking towards her with newfound energy. Allura held her hand out for him to take, which he did. The familiar weight grounding. 

He leaned against the car hood with Allura, looking at the familiar screen with the smiling and laughing faces of his family. All of his siblings, his eldest brother’s wife and kids, and his mother. It was a candid shot of all of them. They had been laughing at something a cousin had said as he snapped the photo of them all. He was surprised he still even had battery power left. Allura kept eating her chocolate, finished it off, and crumpled the wrapper in her hand. 

“Where’s your father?” she asked after she had finished chewing. It was an innocent question, but Lance felt something pierce inside of him. He took a shaky breath before looking at her. 

“Killed in action when I was eleven,” he finally said. 

It wasn’t something he often shared with anyone. But though he and Allura had begun with a rocky start, he knew he could trust her. She had given him enough reason; she had saved his life multiple times in the short time he knew her. Allura slowly nodded her head in understanding. Lance had found though she often kept a cool facade, her eyes were expressive of how she really felt. Allura was an empathetic person by nature. She had experienced more than anyone else in the world had, so she knew pain. 

Lance opened up his phone and went into his photos. He found one of his father in full uniform and showed it to her. 

“Here,” he said. The photo was of him in his Marine formal blues, looking at the camera. His official portrait. 

“You have his smile,” Allura said. 

Lance let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah, I’ve been told that.” 

He looked at the photo for a moment longer, taking it all in. It had been a while since he looked at that photo. He sighed, exiting out of the photo before he got too emotional. But he felt compelled to tell Allura more. He felt safe telling her about his family. 

“My mom, she was drowning after he did,” he confessed. 

The memories of that time came back to him. How hard it had been on all of them when he had died. The foundations of their family had been shaken, and they had to figure out how to stabilize it. 

“My parents had immigrated from Cuba when they were young. My father had become a citizen in his twenties before he met my mom. But we grew up in the barrios of Miami. A million ways we could’ve gone left,” he said. 

Allura was a good listener. Lance nodded his head, smiling at the memory of his mama. 

“But she fought for us,” he said. “It helped that she had five children who could help her when we got older. But she raised us, and she didn’t give up when it would’ve been so easy to. And she didn’t let us give up either.” 

Allura looked Lance in the eyes. Thousands of years of experiences reflected in them. She gave a small smile, nodding towards the photo of his lock screen which showed up again. 

“You come from warriors,” she stated. Lance liked that. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I do.” 

She looked away from Lance, turning her head toward the rising sun. It made her skin look radiant. She looked like an ethereal angel who had come down to save them all. In some respects, Lance thought she was. In her own way. 

“I don’t remember what my mother looked like,” she admitted. “I remember her name. Melenor; only because I met someone with the same name and it triggered the memory that I had thought was forgotten to time.” 

“Time steals it all away, I guess,” Lance said, shrugging. 

Allura laughed softly, looking at her hands which had been bunched together in fists. “It’s not what time steals. It’s what it leaves behind.” 

_ Who it leaves behind _ , went unsaid between the two of them. Lance was still coming to terms that one day everyone he loved will eventually die, and will leave him behind to live forever. Keith’s words and story also echoed in his mind. It weighed heavily on his heart. 

“Things you can’t forget,” Allura whispered, her breath misting in the cold morning as she looked up at the sky. 

“I gave up searching for her,” she said. Lance looked at her profile. Her eyes were so expressive. Tears started to gather, and she closed them before they could fall. 

“I made Romelle a promise and I broke it.” 

He could see her reliving that moment in her life. When she had lost Romelle. When they all had. Lance could see the love she had for the immortal woman who had been cast to the bottom of the ocean. The pain in her face as she clenched her jaw, and her eyes which were haunted. Allura let a hiss through her teeth. 

“I’m getting Adam and Shiro back,” she said firmly. “Whatever it takes.” 

Lance raised his eyebrows. “ _ Whatever it takes _ ?” he repeated.

Allura hummed and then turned back to him. Her eyes held a fire in them. “Yes.”

They heard rustling through the bushes and saw Keith nearly stumble out of them. He looked disheveled, his hair loose and a mess. His clothes were rumpled and wrinkles. He held one of his shoes in his hand. 

“Guys, I found something,” he said as he paused to put his other shoe on. “An address. Just outside of London.” 

Allura got up from her spot on the car nodding her head. Lance looked down at the screen one last time. The faces of his family lighting it up. Allura put a soft hand on his shoulder and squeezed. 

“We gotta go, Lance,” she muttered. She held out her hand, and Lance hesitated for a moment before giving it over to her to take. 

Allura pocketed it in her jacket. Lance watched the two of them talk in hushed voices as they ran back through the bushes to get their bags. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, trying to manage his thoughts as best he could. 

They left a few minutes later, with Allura behind the wheel and Keith as the navigator. The car felt empty without Adam and Shiro with them. Lance had never shared a car with the other two members of the team, but Lance felt something integral was missing as he sat alone in the back. He used the time to close his eyes and try to get some sleep. 

Thankfully he had uninterrupted sleep. No nightmares about his past. No nightmarish visions of Romelle caught in a perpetual cycle of screaming and drowning. For once his mind was completely blank. The time he was awake he spent watching Allura and Keith talk. He never knew what they were talking about, and sometimes they would slip into different languages. 

Lance leaned forward between the seats, wrapping his arms around them. “ A  _ dónde vamos _ ?” 

He figured he’d try to speak in Spanish to practice his skills. He grew up speaking Spanish, but it had been a while since he had. But now knowing that Keith had been born in what was then Mexico, and in Texas, he figured he’d be fluent in Spanish. Keith turned around from where he sat to face him. 

“Surrey, England,” he replied.

He nodded. “ _ Nunca antes había estado en Inglaterra _ .”

Keith shrugged his shoulders turning back to face the dashboard. “Eh, no es nada especial.” 

After that, they included Lance in the conversation with ease. He was thankful for it, he couldn’t sit in silence for much longer. Allura eventually turned into a dirt road that was out in the countryside of England. She pulled into a place that was hidden by various trees and foliage parking the car. There was a simple cattle gate separating them from the private property of the address that Keith had found. From what he could see, the place was a modern-looking mansion. They all got out of the car at the same time, with Keith going right to the trunk. Over the drive, he had managed to tie his hair back to make him look more presentable. 

Allura followed him to the trunk, as she glanced at the place with narrowed eyes. Keith took out a gun and handed it to her from the duffle bag they had brought. She tucked it in the back of the waistband of her jeans, covering it with her jacket. 

“Go scout the back,” she instructed Keith. 

Keith tucked his own firearm away and nodded, before walking away and disappearing into the bushes. Allura took out a larger semiautomatic from the trunk, loading it with the necessary ammo, and handed it to Lance. Even though it had only been a few days since he had been taken from Afghanistan, holding the familiar weapon felt foreign in his hands. He looked down at the gun and shook his head. 

“I can’t do this,” he said, holding it back out to Allura to take.

Allura was looking ahead at the gate, watching for anything. Her eyes shifted to Lance for a second before going back. 

“Yes, you can.” 

He held it firmly and pushed it towards her. “I mean, I’m not  _ doing _ this.” 

Allura took the gun with a look of mild disbelief on her face as she stared at Lance.

“You’re one of us now,” she said like it was a fact. And for her it was. But everything had come flooding to Lance over the car ride. He had too much time to think and process everything that happened to him. It was too much. 

She positioned herself in front of Lance. “We would do the same for you.” 

Lance closed his eyes, feeling the twang of guilt pull at his heart. She knew exactly what strings to pull. But he clenched his jaw tightly. 

“I never even had a choice,” he complained. 

Allura scoffed. “None of us had a choice, Lance.” She slammed the trunk of the car. “There isn’t a choice.” 

Lance took a shaky breath looking back at Allura. “The day I died, I killed the guy who killed me. They try to condition us, you know? Thousands of hours of training. Two shots, quick kill.” The mantra that they had tried to drill into his head during boot camp. 

“But they can’t teach you how to live with it.” 

Allura came up and put a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t deny what he was saying. Her eyes were piercing and true. 

“You have to feel it, Lance,” she said. “Every one.” 

Lance shook his head again. “I saw what you did in that church, Allura. All those bodies.” 

Allura faltered for a moment, taking a step back and pursing her lips. Lance felt his breathing getting heavier, and he put his hands on his head. 

“Is that supposed to be me?” he asked. “Is that what we’re supposed to do and we don’t even know why?” 

“You think knowing is going to make you sleep better at night?” Allura retorted, her face pinched. 

Lance shook his head again. He had to stay firm now. “I can’t be that.” 

Allura licked her lips and looked down at the ground, biting her lips and clenching her jaw. Lance thought of his phone. 

“My family, they’re going to get old, and I won’t. But it’ll be years before they realize that. I still have time with them.” 

Keith’s warning echoed in his head but he ignored it. His situation was different than Keith’s was. Allura sighed and took out the handgun from her waistband and put in Lance’s hand. 

“Here,” she said. “Take the car, and when you ditch it, ditch the weapons.” 

Lance would have cried from the relief. She was giving him a way out. After all of this, she wasn’t forcing him to stay. But he still felt as if he owed them some of his care he had developed. 

“You going to be okay?” he asked.

Allura bored into his eyes, her expression unreadable. 

“Always,” she whispered. Then she walked past him and into the bushes where Keith had gone minutes before, leaving him alone. Lance waited a moment before getting back into the car and driving away. 

Allura met up with Keith who was waiting for her behind a row of nicely trimmed topiary bushes. His face confused as she came alone. 

“Where’s Lance?” he asked. 

Allura shook her head, her hands white-knuckled on the gun. “You and me Keith. Now and always.” 

Driving in a car was the most normal thing Lance had done in the last few days. It was nice to do something as mundane as driving through the countryside of England. On the dirt road, he passed some military trucks, as the GPS told him Guildford Station was one mile in a soft British accent. He came to a fork in the road with a large sign saying Train Station, and another below it saying there would be a security checkpoint. He pulled over the car on the side of the road, taking the small handgun he had thrown on the passenger’s seat and getting out. He popped the trunk and started to pack up all the other weapons that had been discarded in the rush before. He kept his eyes on his surroundings, making sure no one was watching him. He released the ammo cartridge from the gun to check it once more, and when he looked back he found it empty. Lance furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. 

“Empty?” he muttered to himself. It didn’t seem like Allura to give him an empty gun.

A memory replayed quickly in his mind. Keith had been the one to give Allura the gun. And he had swiftly taken the ammo out of the gun before passing it onto Allura who knew none the better. He felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach. 

“Shit. Allura.” He ran back into the car and pulled an illegal U-turn, and sped it back the way he came. 

Allura and Keith had managed to make it past all the security measures and to the back door of the glass estate. They entered and Allura followed Keith’s lead, covering his back as they surveyed the house from inside. They paused at a spiral staircase that led to a second floor, while Keith stood at attention, she went up first with him following behind. The place was suspiciously quiet, and as they got off the stairs with their guns drawn, wood doors that led to a spacious office were open. And inside was Lotor with his back turned to them. Allura tiptoed behind the door and nodded for Keith to go the other way to make sure there were no other threats. Keith did as he was told, and Allura went in through the door to the office. 

“Where are they?” she demanded. 

On the wall was a collage of photos and clippings of articles from various sources. Things were highlighted, and red string and tape zig-zagged across. It was organized chaos. Lotor turned around with his hands in his pockets. He looked undisturbed by her presence. He gave her a smile that he had used on her the first time they had met. The smile that had taken her to his bed. A mistake she wouldn’t make again. 

“Allura,” he greeted. He walked over to her. “Or as some call you, Allura the Nubian.” 

Allura’s eyebrow twitched at the name, but she didn’t react anymore. She kept her gun pointed at the man in front of her. Keith had come in behind her after he had done his perimeter search. 

“No need for guns,” he said waving his hand. He tucked a stray hair out of his face behind his ear. “The eternal warrior.” 

“Keith?” Allura called. 

“Right here.” He came up next to her. 

She looked at the wall closer. On it she realized it was old documents and photos of her. Her and her team through history. She saw an old US passport photo of her, and an article about a mysterious man who had saved a group of children from a building collapse. Other things with all of their faces on it. A pit sank into her stomach and she leveled the gun toward him again. 

“Where are Adam and Shiro?” she asked again, stepping closer to him. 

A gunshot went off, shooting Allura in the side, causing her to grunt and her eyes widened in surprise. She stumbled as the pain ripped through her body. Keith came up and took her arms behind her, restraining her.

“What are you doing?” she cried out as she tried to buck against Keith’s grip. He brought her to the ground and she wailed again. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” 

“Allura, calm down!” Keith replied through clenched teeth. 

She felt a zip tie go around her wrists as Keith tightened it. “ _ NOO _ !”

Allura kept fighting, grunting in pain from the wound and Keith propped her up with his arm around her shoulders in a hold. She was breathing heavily as she looked up from where Lotor stood. 

“You set us up?” she grunted to Keith, fire burning through her body and mind. Disbelief clouding her. 

“Please listen,” Keith muttered. 

Lotor watched the scene unfold, and he looked as if he didn’t like it to come this way either. But Lotor was a filthy liar. Allura spat at his feet and grunted again as she tried to push Keith away to no avail. 

“When my wife died,” he began.” 

“Liar,” Allura spat. “You never had a wife.” 

Lotor looked at her hard before he nodded. Allowing it to be known that his jig was up. He sighed and closed his eyes. 

“Alright, yes. I never had a wife, but I had an old friend who had died from that horrible disease. My best friend growing up. I may have lied about the wife, but it had really hurt me to lose her. So when she died, and I had met you all for the first time, I knew there was something remarkable about you. And I had to figure out what it was. So I devoted myself to your work.” 

Allura had finally been able to get out Keith’s grasp as she looked on at him with hatred. 

“I learned about your secret history. Written in the margins, passed on by legends,” he continued. “What was dismissed as a myth was, in fact, immortality. You could help end needless suffering.” 

Allura rolled her eyes, trying to mask the pain she was in. It had become a dull throb, but it still hurt. She doubled over, her forehead touching the ground as she continued to make noises of pain. Lotor and Keith shared a look. Lotor sighed. 

“Humanity needs you to share your gifts,” Lotor said. 

Allura let out a humorous laugh as she managed to find the energy to sit up. “Humanity can screw itself for all I care.” 

She then fell over to the side and rolled onto her back, leaning against a loveseat, her hands holding her stomach where she had been shot. Keith started to come over. 

“Allura,” he started. 

Allura let out a growl and kicked towards Keith to keep him away. “Don’t, you god damn coward.” 

She looked up at Keith, who’s face who normally showed no emotion but boredom, cracked. She felt tears prickle in her eyes. 

“Why?” she croaked out. Why had he betrayed her? Why had he betrayed their family? 

Keith closed his eyes and sighed. “Allura, please-.” 

“ _ WHY _ ?” she sobbed, a scream ripping out of her throat. The pain that existed in her coming out.

He knelt down next to Allura, his indigo eyes pleading. “If Lotor can help his mother discover how we keep living, he might find a way to end it.” 

Allura felt as if she had been pushed underwater to drown as she looked Keith in the eyes. 

“That’s what you wanted, right?” he asked. 

She could see that he meant it in the right way. She could see the earnestness in his eyes, but she could not see past the pain of betrayal at that moment. A tear escaped from her eyes. 

“What about Shiro? Adam? They took you in and helped you when no one else would. Not even me. They loved you, Keith, and this is how you repay them?” 

Keith hissed and bowed his head. Flyaway hairs going into his eyes. She heard him sniffle. 

“It was not supposed to be all of us,” he muttered. 

Allura looked at him with teary eyes. “Keith, what have you done?” she sighed. “Not like this.” 

Keith wiped his tears away and then opened her jacket. On her gray t-shirt was a large bloodstain that was still bleeding. He put his hand to the wound gently, his fingers coming away red. 

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “You’re still bleeding.” 

The realization of it hit Keith, and a choked-up sob came out, as he kept running his fingers over the blood. “You’re still bleeding,” he breathed out. “What? Shit.” 

He looked up to Lotor who had been passively watching the scene. “She’s not healing.” 

Lotor’s face pinched up in confusion as he came down to look at Allura’s wound himself. 

“What?” 

“She’s not healing, damn it,” Keith cursed. “Go get something.” 

When Lotor didn’t move he shoved him in the chest. “Go get something! Go!” 

Lotor ran out of the room to get medical supplies, leaving the two of them together, crying and hurting. 

“Allura, please look at me,” he asked gently. “Please, look at me.” 

Allura managed to bring her eyes to his. He shook his head slowly as his mouth quivered. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

She sighed slowly. “It wouldn’t have changed anything,” she said bitterly. 

Keith’s face faltered again, his nostrils flaring and lips shaky. He looked over her head, his eyes misty. 

“Hurry up!” he shouted for Lotor.

Lotor came back in a moment later with a gray hand towel, and he placed it on the wound. Keith smacked his hand away. 

“Careful. And you have to get her out of here.” 

He took one of her arms, and Lotor the other and pulled her up from the ground. The door opened and in came a group of guards, and Honerva walking in behind them. Honerva’s head of security, Sendak, had been brought in. He nodded to Keith. 

“Secure him,” he said with a malicious grin that he then turned to Lotor. “Nice work, Lotor.” 

Keith let himself be handcuffed as Honerva walked up to Allura who had fallen back to the ground. Honerva stared at her like she was nothing more than a prize to be won. She put her hands behind her back. 

“Look at you,” she cooed. 

“She’s wounded. Gunshot,” Lotor said, still holding the towelette to her. 

Honerva raised an eyebrow. “Why isn't’ she healing then?” 

He looked at Allura whose eyes were murderous still. Lotor shook his head. “I don’t know.” 

“She’s not immortal,” Keith spoke up, still being held by security guards. 

Honerva turned her attention to him, her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean,  _ not immortal _ ?” she demanded. 

“I mean, it’s gone,” he replied. 

Honerva looked as if someone had dumped sewage on her as she glanced between the three of them. She pursed her lips looking back to Allura with disdain on her face now. 

“You’re a bloody mess,” she commented. She bent down to her level. “Now how old are you?” 

Allura inhaled deeply as she slowly turned to face her. “Come closer, and I’ll tell you.” 

Honerva’s face fell as she heard the threat in the answer. She glared at Allura before she stood back up removing the wrinkles in her pencil skirt. She gestured to her guards. 

“Let’s get them back,” she demanded, walking out of the room. 

The guards started to close in. “Let her go,” Keith begged. 

Sendak looked back. “Cover me.” 

Allura had started to struggle against being taken. Lotor tried to calm her but it did not work. 

“Let her go!” Keith shouted before he was punched in the gut. 

Lotor got up moving away from them. “Get her up.” 

One of the guards forced a tranquilizer into Keith’s hands and bent him down over her. His face was red with exertion and more tears came down. 

“I’m sorry Allura,” he cried, as they forced his arm down to her neck, inserting the sedative. “I’m sorry.” 

He watched as they both struggled against the guards, their screams of pain echoing. He ran out of the room catching up to his mother. 

“Honerva,” he called. She paused and turned to him a triumphant look. 

“Nicely done, Lotor,” she praised. “I could also see that you and the woman...had a history?” 

Lotor scowled. “That is not important.” 

He pointed back to the large room where he watched the two of them be sedated and manhandled by security guards. 

“If it is true that she’s somehow not immortal anymore, then she might not survive your testing. This will be murder if you take her.” 

Honerva had the audacity to laugh in his face. “Lotor, please. First let’s not let your little feelings you had for her get in the way of your judgment, and of scientific breakthrough. Secondly, it’s not as if the CIA never disappeared anyone before, right? As if they never conducted covert research.” 

Lotor shook his head. “No,” he said firmly. “This is not what we agreed on.” 

Honerva put a hand on his shoulder, her long nails sharp. She gave a rough squeeze. 

“We don’t stop until I say we do.” She looked over at Sendak who had reappeared behind them. She gave a nod, and Lotor felt something hit his neck, causing him to grunt and fall to the ground unconscious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Keith and Keith :( making poor decisions left and right. 
> 
> Drop a comment and kudos below! Thanks for reading!


	11. New Alliances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

Shiro had been resting his eyes, still strapped to the table. He didn’t know how long they had been there for. It was hard to tell the time in a place that never shut off the lights. But during their stay, they had been subjected to experimentation and tests from the doctor who looked like a demon, and Honerva when she decided to make herself known to help. She talked down to them like they were below her like they were just animals used for her experiments. Shiro knew she didn’t see him or Adam as humans. She saw them as her gateway to fame and fortune. 

During one of these experiments, Shiro had managed to lash out just enough to knock over the table of samples and equipment. He had cursed them all out in nearly all the languages he knew, for hurting Adam. And when they experimented on him, Adam often did the same. It was a vicious cycle. Sometimes it got bad enough that they had to sedate them back into compliance. But he never gave up hope that Keith or Allura or now even the newcomer, Lance would find them and break them out. They were a team, and the team never left anyone behind no matter what. 

Shiro opened his eyes when he heard a commotion from outside the lab they were in. He watched as Adam also woke up from his small nap with his eyebrows raised in question. They both were looking at the door where they knew the scientists walked in and out from. From the moment they could, they had scoped out all the places they could escape through. It was an ingrained habit from almost two thousand years of evading capture. 

The door opened and the guards that had been hired by Honerva and her company came in, with two familiar faces. Adam tried to sit up more, his mouth open. 

“Allura,” he called out.

They watched as Keith came in behind, looking down at the ground with a defeated expression on his face. The guards pushed Allura onto the bed beside theirs and strapped her up as they had done to them. Allura let out a groan of pain, her eyes shut tight. Shiro leaned trying to get a better look. 

“What happened?” he demanded. 

Keith came up behind her. “She’s not healing.” 

The guards took Keith by the arms and then pushed him on the bed furthest from Shiro and strapped him down. He bared his teeth but didn’t resist too much. He then closed his eyes and sighed. 

“I killed her,” he said. 

Shiro felt a jolt go through his body at the words. He could see Adam felt the same way, his eyes widening looking at the two of them beside him. Allura had managed to open her eyes just to roll them, her jaw clenched tightly. 

The evil doctor, Macidus, pulled up the shirt she wore to reveal a nasty bullet hole wound in her side. Adam let out a hiss at the sight, but Shiro was struck to silence as he looked at it bleeding every time she moved. Adam muttered something under his breath and laid his head back down and looked at the ceiling. Shiro followed suit, thoughts surging through his mind. 

“I’ll need to get a line in her and stop the bleeding,” he stated. 

Honerva had come in at that moment. “Keep her alive at all costs,” she demanded the doctor. 

The guards around them put themselves at ease when they were all strapped securely in their beds. Honerva looked at the four of them with a glint in her eyes. She put her hand on her chin as she took them all in. 

“Don’t you see?” she said to her doctor. She gestured toward Allura. “Between Sudan and now, something’s changed. Find out what.” 

Macidus nodded his head as he grabbed more supplies and started to set it up. He put on a pair of gloves. 

“This will stabilize her,” he said, “but I will have to stitch her up and give her antibiotics.” 

Honerva hummed and pursed her lips. “Good.” 

Adam watched with intent eyes as they got the medical stuff set up. Macidus walked away to get another thing from his drawers of supplies. 

“All things die,” he stated in that calm voice. 

Honerva turned her attention to him, her eyes narrowing and eyebrows pinching. She crossed her arms over her chest as she took a step towards him. 

“What was that?” she asked. 

Adam paused, letting out a sigh and licking his lips before slowly bringing his eyes towards her. He blinked slowly, once, twice. 

“Everything has to die, Haggar,” he said. Honerva seethed at the name they insisted on using. 

His eyes followed her every movement. “The only reason we haven’t is that it’s not our time yet.” 

He nodded his head towards Allura who was purposefully not looking at any of them. “If it is now Allura’s, nothing you can do will stop it.” 

“You’d be surprised by what my products can do,” she boasted. 

She walked towards Shiro, who had been watching with a curious eye. She put a finger on him and gently dragged her sharp nail over his torso. 

“I will carve slices off you for years to get what I want,” she said. With her nail, she swiped hard enough to cut Shiro open. His nose wrinkled but he said nothing, as they both watched the cut slowly stitch itself back up before blood could even come out. She looked at Adam to see his reaction. There was none there she was looking for. His face was stoic as ever. 

“Your time is coming.” 

Adam tilted his head to the side, some of his bronze hair going into his eyes. “As is yours.” 

A small grin cracked onto Shiro’s face. He felt an explosion of love for him at that moment. One that he had never gotten tired of feeling. Honerva had gaped at him for a moment before closing her mouth and clenching her jaw tightly. She took a step back. 

“I expect results,” she growled at her team before she stormed out of the room. The guards followed her out, leaving the four of them alone. 

Keith sighed turning towards them. “Allura,” he called. 

Allura did not respond. Shiro and Adam exchanged a glance, wondering what had happened. How they had all gotten captured. But Shiro also had to wonder, where was Lance? 

* * *

Lance had driven back to the private road like a bat straight out of hell. He was shocked he hadn’t been pulled over for reckless driving but was grateful that he didn’t. As soon as he had parked the car he flew out the front door and followed the path that Allura and Keith had used to get to the estate. He had entered through a back door that was open, and he had done a quick scope of the place room by room. Lance had the handgun Allura had given to him, now actually loaded, and he kept it pointed in front of him. As he came up the spiral staircase to the second floor, he saw doors to a large office open. Sitting in the chair was a man hunched over with his hands in his long white hair. Lance took a careful step in. 

When the man noticed him, he immediately lunged for the other gun that Allura had taken with her, but Lance was faster and kicked it out of the way. 

“No way,” he said, pointing the gun and unloading the safety. The man immediately put up his hands as he sat back. 

“Are you this Lotor guy everyone’s been talking about?” he demanded. 

The man was panting as he slowly stood up on shaky legs. His face was calm, and his blue eyes bright. Lance gave a quick once over at the tall man. He was dressed nicely, but his hair was disheveled, and there was a bloodstain on his hands that he tried to wash off. 

“She had the guts to send you to finish me off?” he asked. 

Lance furrowed his eyebrows. “What?” He then glanced at the ground where there was a beautiful white shag carpet. But it was covered in bloodstains. He took a step closer with his gun. 

“Where’s Allura and Keith?” 

“Who are you?” he replied instead. He looked genuinely confused as he also took in the sight of him. His hands were still up in the air. 

He looked at Lotor for a moment, and a reckless thought came to his mind. He could hear his mama berating him for his stupidness, but he had to prove a point. He aimed the gun at his foot and pulled the trigger. The noise of the gunshot echoed loudly, causing Lotor to flinch back in shock and the bullet pierced his foot causing him to scream in pain. 

“ _ Joder _ !” he cursed as he doubled over in pain. “ _ Me cago en todo lo que se menea _ !”

Lance took a deep breath closing his eyes for a moment before opening them. Lotor had his mouth open and his eyes wide in shock. He looked down at his boot that now had a bullet hole in it and pointed. Lance could feel his foot already mending from inside. 

“You’re another one,” he breathed in revelation. 

Lance sighed and put the gun back up towards Lotor who was still trying to process everything. 

“Yup,” he said between heavy breaths. “Guess you could say I’m new. God damn, I can’t believe I actually shot myself in the foot.” 

He shook his head clear and then took a step closer to Lotor. “Now, I’ll ask again. Where are they?” 

“They’re in a lab,” Lotor admitted. “Being tested.” 

He closed his eyes and winced. “Tortured really. Honerva, she only cares about her immortality. Not what she’s done with it.” 

Lance wasn’t exactly sure who this Honerva woman was, but he figured it was the person who had been behind this entire thing. Lotor was just some sort of pawn piece, a middle man. 

“What do you mean, with what she’s done it with?” he asked. 

Lotor used that moment to stand up and walked to the wall that Lance had just noticed was looking suspiciously like a murder board. He pointed to a newspaper article that had been highlighted by him. Attached to it were strings that led to other photos and articles and notes. All connected somehow. 

“Montenegro, 1916,” he said. “She saved a family of refugees whose daughter would discover the technique for the early detections of diabetes.” 

Lance looked at where Lotor was pointing, intrigued by it all. But he still had no reason to trust the man in front of him, so he kept the gun pointed. Lotor went to another part of the wall. He pointed to it. 

“This one. Her grandson would save three hundred and seventeen people from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.” 

Lotor was on a roll. He continued to make his way across his wall of research. He pointed at something hard a few times. 

“This guy. This man here prevented an accidental nuclear exchange in 1978 and likely saved civilization as a result.” 

Lance looked at the wall before him. There were dozens of things on it, labeled by year and country. With strings attached to everything like a complicated spider web. He had never seen anything truly like it. He felt his guard go down just a little, lowering his gun. 

“The famous and the unknown names,” he said. “She saves a life, two, three generations later we reap the benefits.” 

Lance looked at the board. There were photos of the familiar faces from all times of history. There were paintings of them, articles about them. Lance couldn’t believe his eyes as he gently touched an old photo of Keith and Allura helping rescue people from collapsed buildings. 

“She’s in it,” he muttered. “And she can’t see it.” 

Lance slowly turned around to the man in front of him. He pointed towards him. “But you could.” 

He scoffed. “You could, and you gave them up,” he accused. 

Lotor sighed heavily. “I thought it could be the end of disease. I thought it could be the end of suffering.” 

Lance watched as his eyes got misty and his mouth quivered just a little. “She couldn’t talk. My best friend, my only true friend in this universe, in this life. In the end. She couldn’t breathe. And I had the best medicine science could think of at my fingertips, and I still couldn’t do anything to help her.” 

Lotor shook his head, looking down. He let out a humorless laugh. “It was supposed to be a gift. To the world.” 

Lance understood where he was coming from, but he couldn’t excuse it. “It wasn’t your gift to give though.” 

Lotor nodded silently. After a moment he looked back up. “Why would the immortality end?” 

Lance felt taken aback. “ _ What _ ?” 

He turned his back to him, walking away from the board. “Allura, she wouldn’t stop bleeding,” he said. 

Lance looked back at the blood-stained carpet again, a newfound fear piercing through him. “Is she alive?” he demanded. 

Lotor looked up at him, steel in his eyes. “For now, yes. I know where they are. And I’ll bring you to them.” 

Lotor brought him out of the estate and into the car and drove them to London. He parked outside the building that rose high above anything else on the street, and was sleek looking, the glass reflecting off the light. In big purple letters was written Haggar Industries. Lance thought it was an ugly name.

They got out and Lance grabbed the case that held Allura’s labrys, and his backpack filled with weapons. Lotor led the way in through the front doors of the building. He swiped his card in through the door, holding it for Lance to go through. 

He bent down to open the backpack and looked around the stark white room they were in. Lotor had his arms crossed over his chest. 

“There are no cameras here,” he said. “This is how she gets people in and out unseen.” 

Lance made a face of distaste at the man, but Lotor just shrugged and nodded his head like he agreed how sketchy it was. Lance continued to unzip the bag. 

“How many shooters on sight?” he asked. 

“At least thirty. Their boss, Sendak, is ex-special forces,” he warned. 

Lance scoffed as he took out the semi-automatic, checking for enough ammo and magazines inside. “What kind of CEO rolls up with her own personal army?” 

“These days?” Lotor asked as he bent down to grab a gun of his own. “Most of them. I admit that when I captured your two friends in France, I used my own as well.” 

“That’s great,” Lance admonished. He waved his hand at Lotor. “Also, what are you doing?” 

“Trying to make things right,” he said, putting the gun in his waistband.

Lance stood up. “Your dying won’t do that.” 

Lotor rolled his eyes and gestured at Lance. “And what, I’m supposed to let you walk in there by yourself?” 

He went to take a step forward, but Lance cut him off, holding a hand out to his chest. “Out of the two of us, I’m the one who’s going to walk out of there again, one way or another.” 

Lance then held his hand out towards Lotor, silently asking for the gun back. Lotor stared at him in disbelief, wanting to argue. But Lance was good at arguing, a side effect of growing up the youngest of five. 

“You got me here,” he said. “Now let me do my part.” 

After a moment, Lotor sighed and took the gun out and handed it to Lance. Lance then put it into his waistband. 

“There’s a private lab on the fifteenth floor,” Lotor instructed. “It’s empty.” 

He then took out his security card and held it to the reader. They watched the light flash from red to green, and the lock open. Lotor opened the door for Lance. He then gave the card to him. 

“This will get you access.” 

Lance gathered his bags and nodded. He pocketed the card away for safekeeping. As he entered the door he looked back. 

“You should get out of here, before the noise starts,” he warned. 

He then stepped into the private elevator and pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. 

“Good luck, Lance,” he said as the doors closed. 

Lance felt the elevator start moving up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He even said a quick prayer in his mind. Trying to clear his thoughts. He was going to rescue them. All of them. He felt the elevator stop as it got to the fifteenth floor. Lance steeled his nerves as the doors opened. 

Lance stepped out carefully, footfalls not making a noise. He walked towards a hallway, and as he turned the corner he could see a group of guards talking among one another. One stepped up holding his hand out. 

“Floor’s closed. How’d you get up here?” he demanded. 

Lance felt his knuckles tighten against the strap of the bag, and his other hand go behind his back, holding the gun. He looked at all of them for a moment, feigning confusion. He looked around. 

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I was just looking-.” 

The guards then tensed and pulled out their guns. “Freeze. Let me see your hands!” 

Lance cursed in his mind for what he was about to do. He slowly took out the semi-automatic, and in a blink one of them shot him twice in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground instantly dead. 

“Zero, this is Alpha two-two,” one said into a walkie talkie. 

In the security room, an operator turned the scene onto the main monitor. Sendak came closer, his eyes narrowing as he took his own walkie talkie. “Zero. Send.” 

“We had an intruder,” the guard at the scene said. “Target is down.” 

Sendak leaned closer, suspicious of it. “See if you can get an ID off the body,” he commanded, his voice gruff. 

The guard kicked the hand with the gun away and hesitantly got down to start to pat the jeans they wore for anything. It was at that moment, Lance felt himself come back to life, and he kicked the guard down and in one swoop shot him point-blank as well. He got up and shot the other two guards down too. 

From the security room, Sendak recoiled. “Fuck! TAC Teams, find Honerva now!” he shouted. 

Lance picked up the duffle and a gun from the guards, checking for ammo. He then went behind a pillar and peaked his head around. It was clear and he made his way down the hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally added more to this chapter, but then decided to split it into the next chapter instead. 
> 
> Drop some comments and kudos below :)


	12. Going Down Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: A pretty good amount of violence happens in this chapter. So please read at your own risk. 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

Keith had confessed to everything. Allura had watched as Adam and Shiro took it all in. Saw their faces go through a myriad of emotions. Disbelief, shock, sorrow, grief, anger. Adam had shut down at the betrayal. He laid back, his eyes staring up at nothing, as he listened. His face pinched in pain. Shiro had started out the same way, but his anguish had quickly won over. He had lifted up to glare at Shiro. 

“You could you?” he demanded. He didn’t scream, but his voice was raised and it was hard. “What kind of selfish piece of shit would do such a thing?”

Adam shook his head, his eyes screwed shut. “Takashi, please, just leave it!” he begged. 

Keith shook his head. “The weight of all these years alone, what could you know about it?” he muttered bitterly. 

Shiro let out a humorless laugh as he shook his head. “That is a pathetic excuse, Keith.” 

“Takashi, stop,” Adam said still with his eyes closed. His voice was soft and calm as it always was.

“You and Adam always had each other, right?” Keith continued. “And all we had was our grief.” 

Shiro lifted his head, his eyes steel. “We took you in as one of our own. We took care of you those first few decades. We loved you, like one of our own Keith. But now, you can have even more grief to look forward to.” 

Allura just let the voices of the three of them wash over her. She already had that fight with Keith. She wasn’t going to repeat it. 

Suddenly they heard gunfire going off. They had stopped their arguing to face the noise, trying to figure out where it had come from. They heard the sound of glass shattering to the ground. Muffled voices were talking, shouting things that they couldn’t decipher. 

From the other side of the floor, Lance was running in head first, ducking below to try and get out of the way of the firefight from the guards that had started to swarm. As he was running, covering his head from falling glass, he turned back to shoot with his other, but his aim was not great. Just as he got to heavy duty double doors, Sendak came in with Honerva behind him. He aimed his gun and shot Lance right through the chest, sending him down to the ground with a grunt of pain, and falling inside the door closing it behind him. 

“Shit,” Sendak cursed. Honerva had come up next to him, her hair was disheveled looking, her eyes wide. 

“There’s another one,” they said at the same time.

Sendak looked at the door. “He’s going for the rest of them. Doctor’s lab now!” 

The guards moved out, and Sendak went back to Honerva. “I’m locking you down in the penthouse until this is over,” he said, grabbing her arm. 

Honerva shoved her way past, picking up a black case that had been left behind by the intruder. It was heavy as she weighed it, and smiled knowing that a weapon lay inside. She then nodded and let Sendak take her away from the chaos. 

After a moment, Lance woke back up, his eyes screwed shut as he grunted in pain. He slowly got back to his feet, as he felt his wounds healing up. He rubbed at his chest for a moment before running towards the end of the room, where another door lay. He scrambled for the keycard in his pocket that Lotor had given to him, and he held it out to the scanner. He watched the light turn green and beep before he pulled the door open and went through it. 

Inside the next room, a doctor with a cruel face turned around in surprise, typing in front of a computer. And at the end lay Keith, Allura, Adam, and Shiro strapped to beds. The four of them looked at him in unison. 

“Lance!” Keith called out in relief. Lance was still trying to catch his breath. He saw Keith’s eyes widen. 

“Behind you!” he warned. But then he felt a bullet go through his chest again, making him grunt and clench his teeth. He managed to turn around and shoot back before closing the door. 

“Lance!” Keith called out again in alarm. The doctor had taken a syringe of something and tried to stab him, but Lance easily maneuvered away, slamming his gun into his head knocking him to the ground. He then ran up to them. 

“There are four shooters at the door and more coming,” he said getting right down to it. 

He started to unbuckle Allura from her restraints. Lance glanced at the wound at Allura’s side which had been covered with a bandage, remembering Lotor’s words and story. Allura didn’t say anything, but Lance held out his gun for her to take back. Allura had closed her eyes, head leaning back. The rest of the team was watching intently. 

“Allura,” he hissed. Frustration wound through his body for a moment before he took her hand and forced the gun into it. “Immortal or not, you made a promise.” 

Allura opened her eyes to look at the gun. “Whatever it takes,” he reminded her. 

He shook his head, smiling a little. “I’ve seen it, Allura,” he said. “I know all the good you’ve done.” 

He had another handgun and locked and loaded it. The door busted open and more guards came in. Lance stood to the side and the two of them aimed and shot at the same time, taking them down easily. Allura undid her other arm and got up from the table, a new determination on her face. She looked over her back at him. 

“You came back,” she stated. 

Lance stared at her for a long moment, as he started to walk towards Keith and get his restraints off. He half shrugged. “Yeah, I did.” 

Allura turned and started to unstrap Adam and Shiro from their tables, allowing them to finally stand. Keith shook his head as Lance undid his straps. 

“No just leave me here,” he said. 

“No man left behind,” Lance replied. 

Shiro had gotten up and was stretching his muscles, rolling his head back allowing his neck to crack. 

“Well, there can always be a first,” he said bitterly. “He’s nothing but a traitor.” 

“Stop,” Allura interrupted. “Now is not the time for this. Air the grievances out later.” 

She started to walk towards the other end of the lab. Adam and Shiro were searching for shirts to put on. 

“We don’t get a say in when it ends,” she stated. “We never have. But we can control how we live.” 

They all ruffled in the duffle bag Lance had brought, bringing out the weapons and getting them ready to use. Allura walked back over to Keith who still laid on the table not moving. 

“And to be honest Keith, you and I? We’ve been doing a shit job of it,” she admitted. 

Lance watched the scene before him. It was the first time he would see all of them working together as a cohesive unit. Thousands of years of experience shared between them all. And it had been up to Lance in the end to save them. 

Allura threw a gun at him, which Keith instinctively caught on his stomach. “Now get up,” she commanded. “Let’s go. We stop Honerva here and now, or she never stops coming after us.” 

Keith looked at all of them, a myriad of emotions swirling in his eyes, as they all waited for him to make his decision. They were ready to fight with or without him, but Lance could see that they wanted him to fight with them. As he always had. After a moment, Keith undid his other hand brace and got up and walked toward them. Allura bent down to one of the guards and grabbed a weapon off of them. She winced as she got back up, pulling her shirt up to make sure the wound didn’t open. 

“Allura,” Adam said, his eyebrows raised. A silent question between them.  _ Are you all alright? _ His eyes flickered to the wound and back to her. “Are you sure?” 

Allura gave him a small grimace. Adam had always had the biggest heart of all of them; putting others before himself. She pulled her shirt back down and nodded. 

“This changes nothing,” she declared. She looked at all of them. “We walk out of here like always. Together.” 

Keith smiled for a moment but it was quickly wiped off. Adam and Shiro nodded and shared a look. Lance felt oddly prepared to go into battle with these four people. 

“Let’s get this bitch,” she said, and they all started to walk out of the lab, covering their leader. 

Honerva had taken the black case back to her office, where she had locked the door. She put it on her desk, and she slowly unzipped it, pulling the flap open delicately with two fingers. She marveled at the weapon in front of her, taking it by the hilt in one hand and gently touching the blade with the other until she was able to bring it to eye level. 

“A labrys,” she muttered to herself. “A beautiful specimen.” 

Back below, Lance led them back out of the lab the way he had come in. He pointedly ignored the sticky pool of blood that had come from his body before and went to one side of the double doors gun ready. Adam pulled up next to him on the other side. He turned back to face the rest of the team. 

“Cover Allura,” he said. 

Lance made eye contact with Adam and nodded, he then pushed his shoulder through the door, running in with Adam and the team coming in behind him, guns drawn in anticipation. They split covering the room as they made their way through. Keith came up behind Lance, patting him once on the shoulder before moving forward to another entrance that led to a hallway. Allura ran next to him, staying hidden behind the corner eyes on the ground looking for feet. Two guards came passing by, and Allura jumped out spinning one guard away by kicking him, allowing Keith to shoot him, and using the momentum to aim the gun at the other and shooting him before they could react. 

Adam and Shiro turned left, shooting two more guards that came, while Lance turned right going with Allura. Another came out from a room, and she broke his arm causing him to scream and shot another running down the hallway. Allura turned her attention to the man with the broken arm, kicking him down and then killing him before swiftly moving on. Adam bent down and grabbed a larger gun from the guard, and passed it back to Shiro with ease; a well-practiced move. They continued to shoot their way through, working well together like parts of a body. It flowed easily between them. Lance barely even had to think. 

At one point, Lance had called out to Allura, who brought him by the arm and used him as a shield as she aimed and fired. Lance grunt but didn’t fall. Allura spared him a glance and a small smile. 

“Sorry,” she said before she moved on. Lance couldn’t even be mad, so he laughed. 

There was a lull in the fight for a moment, but more came flooding out and managed to shoot Adam in the chest a few times before Shiro got them back. Adam let out a grunt of pain, but instead turned to the right and kept moving, the wounds already closing. Adam knelt down keeping lookout as the rest of the team went into another room, with him closing in behind. 

They split and scoped the room again, this time Keith taking the lead. Shiro opened the door with him going through first. Keith slammed his gun into the guard's face, taking him out and then shooting. Lance came in behind going in for close hand to hand before he managed to push him back, allowing Adam to stick his arm and use the momentum to flip him over and give Shiro the shot to kill. Lance snuck a glance at Keith. His hair was a mess, falling into his face. He grit his teeth as he wiped it away. Allura took out two more alone. Blood was covering them, staining all the clothes. Lance thought it was a shame since he liked the shirt he wore. Keith bent down and took out cartridges of ammo from unused guns of the people they just took out and handed it to Allura over his shoulder. Lance followed his lead, and they all refilled their ammo. The fight had happened all in less than a minute. 

After Keith ran to the side of another door, with them filing in behind. Allura was bent down on one knee trying to hide her pain and holding her side. Shiro looked down with worry on his face. Allura opened her eyes and nodded silently. Then a blast went off, knocking them all to the ground, and debris to fly everywhere, covering them in a haze of smoke. They all coughed trying to expel the dirt and smoke from their lungs. Allura lay on the ground groaning, as Lance stumbled to his feet. Keith was hunched over, covering his ears. 

“Shit,” he cursed. “Allura!” 

He ran to her, covered in dust, and then guns started to be shot through the large hole in the wall. Lance ran to help her as well. They both grabbed one arm of hers and hoisted her off the ground. Keith looked over his shoulder through the smoke. 

“Shiro, Adam, we’re moving out!” he called. Another round of coughs racked through them. They didn’t have time to wait as they made their escape. 

As they left the room, Keith hung himself over Allura to protect her. They got cut off by more soldiers who began shooting. Keith got hit causing him to curse, and he stumbled into yet another room taking Allura with him, as Lance finished them off. Allura glanced up and saw an emergency ax in a glass case. She smirked and ducked to get it. She smashed her hand into it, breaking it causing the alarm to go off as she yanked it out. It wasn’t her labrys, but it was the next best thing. She ran into the fight and started to swing it with the ease of thousands of years, taking out the assailants one by one. Lance looked on with wide eyes at the skill and precision she had. It was awe-inspiring. 

“Assault team, move!” Sendak ordered from the other side. He pointed to two soldiers. “You two, flank.” The team went in the other direction to try and cut them off, as he put on a gas mask and stepped inside. 

It was hard to see in the room, but he stepped carefully. On the ground, Shiro lay motionless, but Adam had woken up and started to cough. The smoke had already started to clear as he found him. Sendak came over and kicked him in the face, knocking him back down with a groan. Adam coughed but rolled over to get back before Sendak then kicked him in the stomach. He went in for another kick, but Adam had managed to move in time and grabbed him while he was off balance and threw him to the ground. Adam sat on top and started to punch Sendak in the face repeatedly. Sendak grunted but caught Adam’s fist and bucked him off, kicking him into the ground, to get up. Shiro had woken up then, and intervened in the fight, cutting Sendak off, by pushing his face and slamming it into the ground and ripping the gas mask off. The two began to grapple against one another, exchanging punches. Sendak got a good one to the throat, but Adam had pulled himself back up and grabbed him by the waist to pull him down with a grunt. Sendak was able to keep his balance and swung around until Adam was still on the ground. Then he put a gun to Adam’s face and fired it. 

Shiro roared with a wave of visceral anger as he had never felt as Adam fell limp to the ground. Sendak coughed into his arm before he made his escape. Shiro crawled over to his beloved, trying to clear the debris from his eyes. He hovered over Adam, who’s beautiful amber-brown eyes stared at nothing. The light he had come to love over nearly two millennia gone. Shiro had seen Adam die thousands of times over thousands of lifetimes. But it never put his mind at ease seeing it again. He gently placed a hand right over his cheek, breathing heavy looking for any signs that he wouldn’t be healing. 

Then Adam gasped jerking up from the ground, his eyes now wide and full of life, before rolling over and coughing hard into the ground. Shiro listened to him give a colorful stream of creative curses in Bactrian, the dead language he only used when he was feeling especially emotional. Shiro fell back onto his legs ducking his head down and letting out the largest sigh of relief he could muster. Adam reached up for Shiro and grasped his arm gently, and Shiro reached for his other hand squeezing it. Then he turned over, reaching for the gun next to him. 

“Let’s go,” he wheezed. “Allura.” 

Shiro jumped to his feet and grabbed an abandoned gun, and helped Adam up from the ground, who was shaking dust and debris off his hair. “Come on. Come on. Come on.” 

From the hiding spot, Lance kept picking off the guards one by one. Allura had disappeared somewhere, causing some mild alarm. As he was shooting though, his gun got stuck. He cursed. 

“Shit. It’s jammed!” 

Keith came stumbling out, recovering from his wounds, and grabbed a gun, and switched spots with Lance. They didn’t even need to speak. They just knew instinctively what they needed to do. He then finished them off. 

Allura had made her way into a hallway that was made of glass, and overlooked London. She stopped at a corner, trying to control her breathing and pain. She heard a walkie talkie go off, and more solid response. She cursed. Then she steeled her nerves and revealed her self and ran towards the man, swinging the ax, knocking the gun out of his hand. The man managed to kick the ax out of her’s, and took out a knife, and lunged. She was able to spin away, and use the momentum to her advantage, punching him in the face, and twisting his arm to cut his own leg, and then breaking the arm, and kicking him in the head. The helmet he wore clattered down the hallway, and he took out another knife using his other hand to try and swipe. They fought for a minute more before she was able to take a baton off him and hit him in the head repeatedly, and then flip him over her shoulder onto the ground. The action made her clutch her side with pain searing through as she walked past him. It was at that moment, Keith and Lance found her and joined looking at the scene. From the other end of the hallway, Adam and Shiro came in. Allura looked down at the guard. 

“Where’s Honerva?” she demanded. 

They surrounded him in a small circle, and he looked at all of them with a snarl. He spat blood on the floor before answering. “Penthouse.” 

They all looked upwards, and then Shiro looked at Allura with his eyebrows raised. “What do you think? Oslo, ‘67?” he suggested. 

Allura smirked but shook her head. “No. São Paulo, ‘34. Lance is with me.” She reached out for a gun that Lance gave to her. 

He looked between all of them with confusion. “What happened in Sao Paulo in 1934?” he wondered. 

Adam let out a small scoff, and Shiro grinned. “1834,” Allura replied. “And you’ll see.” 

The three of the eldest immortals shared a look together. One that Lance was very familiar with. It was the look of his older siblings in on a secret and planning to use it against him. Keith looked a little putout, and Lance felt some solace over the fact that it had been before he was born too. Immortally speaking. 

Allura then gestured for Lance to follow her down one end of the hallway, while Shiro, Adam, and Keith broke away and went down the other way. 

From the penthouse, Honerva could hear gunshots echoing and coming closer. Sendak and his team had the guns aimed right at the front door, while she stood back. Her knuckles flexed against the hilt of the modernized ancient weapon. She didn’t have much experience with weapons in general, but she figured she could at least swing it at her adversaries. Sendak tilted his head to his radio. 

“First team, hold the hall,” he ordered. 

She heard more of a commotion happening, and her eyes narrowed. The team fanned out across the floor for more coverage. Sendak radioed the first team for response. Honerva found herself raising an eyebrow, a pit forming in her stomach. 

Allura and Lance had taken out the squad that was waiting outside the door to the suite where Honerva was. They were covered in dirt and grime and blood. Allura put a hand to her waist, with it coming back sticky and red with her blood. She clenched her jaw and looked at the wooden door that stood between them. They reloaded their guns. 

“Wait for the signal,” she said. 

Words that echoed in familiarity to Lance. Though it had only been a few days ago at the church in France, it felt like a lifetime ago to Lance. It had been such a whirlwind, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t known these people forever. 

“Is it going to be like the last signal?” he asked. 

Allura let out a gentle scoff and a smirk, looking back with a mischievous light in her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders. 

“Go big or go home, right?” 

They shared a laugh and then waited for their time. Lance looked back at Allura and her wound that was only getting worse. He bent down and ripped a vest off a guard they killed. 

“I’ll make the entry. Stay tight to me, okay?” he said. “I’ll protect you.” 

Allura bent down and put a hand down, so Lance couldn’t get the vest off. He looked her in the eyes. She shook her head. 

“I go through first,” she declared. “I  _ always _ go first.” 

“Allura put on the damn armor,” he said between clenched teeth. But Allura kept her hand firmly down. 

“It’s like Adam said. ‘If it’s my time, it’s my time.’” She looked over her shoulder. “If this doesn’t work out, next time you go first.” 

Lance clenched his jaw but stood up. There was no changing Allura’s mind. 

Inside Honerva took a step down. She tilted her head to the side, holding the weapon tightly in her hands, afraid she would drop it otherwise. 

“Sendak?” she called out. 

“Sendak, how many more do we have coming?” she demanded. 

Her head of security loaded his semiautomatic and got into position, with his soldiers following him. 

“This is it,” he declared. “So dig in.” They all had their guns pointed at the door ready to shoot at will.

They waited a few minutes in tense silence. It was almost too much for Honerva. She did not like unknown variables. She liked knowing all her moves. This was unpredictable, and she did not enjoy it. 

“What the hell are they waiting for?” Sendak growled. 

Gunshots came through, shattering the glass windows to the penthouse, making everyone duck instinctively. Shiro came bursting through on a rope, rolling in and landing on his feet with a gun in his hand. Someone cursed, but Shiro fired before they could finish ducking behind a desk. A bomb went off at the main door, while the guards were distracted with Shiro, allowing Lance and Allura to come in with the protection of the smoke, engaging in a shoot out and taking guards out one by one. Shiro came out, kicking the legs out from under Sendak, causing him to fall to the floor. The two engaged in a fight, with Shiro punching him in the face multiple times. He then grabbed Sendak by the collar of his shirt bringing him close to his face, which wore a furious expression. Shiro closely looked him in the eyes. 

“You shot Adam,” he said in a calm voice. Though he felt anything but. Shiro scoffed and shook his head. “You really shouldn’t have done that.” 

Shiro grabbed Sendak and flipped him over, causing the man to hit his head hard enough to kill him before he fell to the floor. Shiro stood back up and turned around to join Allura and Lance. 

Keith came in through another entrance followed closely behind by Adam who was covering him. 

“The elevator is going down!” Adam screamed. “Honerva is getting away!” 

Shiro started to run towards the sound of Adam’s voice. Lance pointed towards the elevator. “Go!” he shouted at Shiro and Keith who nodded. “I’ll stay with Allura.” 

Allura and Lance went over to the windows that had been broken by Shiro’s entrance, looking down. It was a very long way down to the streets of London. The wind was blowing from the outside, making it sound like it was howling. Lance looked toward Allura who was resting an arm on the window frame. 

“You okay?” he asked in concern. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she exhaled. She sniffed and bit her lip. “It just hurts.” 

She cracked her neck and stretched a little and let out a breathy chuckle. “Actually, everything hurts.”

“Well, wait until tomorrow. You’ll need a good dose of Aleve or Tylenol or something,” he said trying to lighten the mood.

Allura shrugged. “I don’t know what those are, but I’ll take your word.” 

Lance almost sputtered out how she didn’t know about basic pain relief medications before he remembered until at least yesterday she had no need for them. He then quickly shut his mouth and nodded. He looked at her, feeling her pain. Allura just sighed and gave him a somber smile, holding her side. 

“I think you showed up when I lost my immortality,” she stated. “So I could see what it was like. So I could remember.” She looked out the window, the light shining across her regal features. 

“Remember?” Asked, confused. 

She nodded. “Remember what it...what it was like to feel unbreakable. Remarkable,” she said looking back at him, her eyes piercing. 

Lance took a moment to process what she was saying to him. It was a heavy silence between them. 

“You reminded me there are people still worth fighting for, Lance,” she admitted. 

She looked up at the sky above them, laughed softly to herself. “I know how I want to spend the rest of the time I’ve got left.” 

Lance took a step forward. “You’re going to spend it with us, Allura,” Lance said, steadfastly. 

“You selfish little bitch!” A gravelly voice came. 

Lance spun around his gun ready, facing the person. Allura just turned casually, like she couldn’t be bothered. Before them was a woman who’s satin blouse was untucked from her pencil skirt which was ripped and covered in dust and debris. Her white hair was covered in soot and messy, and her eyes were piercing and furious. She was pointing a gun at them. 

“I will kill her!” she screamed pointing it at Allura. 

The woman stepped forward, limping from a missing heel on her left shoe. In her other hand was Allura’s labrys. The woman shook her head. 

“All the lives you could’ve saved,” she snarled. She waved her hands. “Don’t you see what we could do here? You are  _ priceless _ . But my failure of a son had to betray me, his own mother! Because of his feelings for you and your stupid little team.” 

Allura didn’t back down from her. “Hey, Lance,” she said calmly. 

Lance looked between the two of them, still holding his gun towards the older woman. He figured that was Honerva. The mastermind behind this whole fiasco. Allura smirked. 

“Do you think she speaks Russian?” she asked. 

Memories of their time close together when Allura and Keith had formally introduced him into this new life. How she had tricked him, by pretending to kill the pilot by shouting in Russian to play dead. Lance felt a warmth go through him and he smirked back. He glanced down at the gun for a moment, realizing that she had put blanks in. Lance then spun and shot Allura who pretended to go down, and then Honerva shot Lance in the chest, causing him to grunt and fall. Allura then got up and swept Honerva off her feet, causing her to stumble, as she yanked her labrys away. In a twirl, Allura swung her weapon, embedding it into the shoulder and neck of Honerva who’s eyes went wide in shock as she stumbled backward. 

Lance had a crazy thought go through his mind, and he didn’t have time to second guess himself. He got up and pushed Honerva’s hand down just as she tried to shoot, and then body slammed himself into her, knocking them out of the window of the skyrise building. 

“ _SHIIIITTT_!” He screamed as they went free-falling down the building. Honerva shrieked flailing as they hit a car parked on the street at full impact. 

Allura looked on from above, a satisfied look on her face. “Play dead,” she muttered. “Who’s the bitch now?” 

Adam was the first one to exit the building, his eyes widening at the crushed and smoking car on the street. He ran over to it, cursing in Greek. Inside he saw Lance, his body twisted in the wreckage. 

“Lance?” he called. 

Shiro and Keith came behind him. Keith had a look of pure surprise on his face, as he looked at Lance in the car and then craned his neck upwards at the building. He then bent down next to Adam to get a better look. 

“He fucking threw himself out of a building?” Keith asked in disbelief. 

Lance then took a breath, his bones cracking and mending back together. Lance twisted his face in pain as it did, cursing out in Spanish. Keith chuckled under his breath, relieved to see him alive. 

“He’s okay,” Adam declared. 

Both Adam and Keith pulled the door of the car open, and Keith went in to help him out. 

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Lance’s hand that now fixed itself. “Let’s get out of the car.” 

Shiro put his hands on his hips, his eyes squinting and mouth open. He looked up at the top of the building. “Faster than the elevator.” 

Adam was there to help him. “It’s okay, Lance,” he said. 

Lance shook his head. “Ow,” he moaned. “That hurt like a motherfucker.” 

Adam smirked and nodded. “I bet it did.” 

Lance got out of the car with Keith helping him, and he made sure to grab Allura’s labrys as well. Keith wrapped his body around Lance’s arm to help him walk, with Adam hovering close by. By the time he got out, Allura had joined them on the street. 

Lance held out the labrys to Allura. She had a proud look on her face as she took it. 

“Nice work, Lance,” she praised. Then she grabbed him by the neck in a hug and tugged him down the street with a smile. Adam pressed a gentle hand to his back as he looked over his shoulder for potential witnesses. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Keith breathed as he passed them to the car Lance had driven there with. 

Keith opened up the trunk to throw weapons in, while Adam and Shiro jumped into the back seats, with Lance joining them in the middle. Allura took the driver’s seat, and Keith took the passengers. The car was packed tightly with the five of them, but to Lance, it felt right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think there's one more chapter to go before this bad boy is done. If you've stuck around this far, thank you! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it, I'm not good at writing action scenes at all, so aw well. 
> 
> Drop some comments and kudos below!


	13. Consequences and Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter is here! Enjoy! 
> 
> (Not edited or beta'd)

After they made their hasty escape from the scene of the many crimes they had just committed, Allura drove them to yet another safe house on the other side of London. It was in the East End, and it wasn’t the most luxurious of places, but it was better than sleeping on the hard ground in an abandoned mine cave. They took the time to wash all the blood off of them, and try to decompress just a little. 

They had sent Allura in first, and as they waited for their own turns, Adam set out to try and scavenge something for them to munch on in the small kitchen. Shiro sat on the couch, with Keith sitting on a wooden chair across the coffee table. He had been hunched over, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Shiro kept his gaze on Keith, a hard stare. Making sure that he didn’t go anywhere. The betrayal that Lance learned of, lingering tensely in the air. No one spoke. When Allura had come out, towel drying her long hair, Adam and Shiro had gone in together. Lance raised his eyebrows but kept quiet. 

After everyone had taken a well-needed shower, Lance felt like he could finally breathe again. They changed into new clothes, and again Keith had given him a bag filled with it, though he didn’t know where he had gotten it from, and the time to get them in the first place. But Lance didn’t question it, just took the kind gesture for what it was. 

Keith wore all his clothes in various tones of gray and black. A black bomber jacket to go over a dark gray t-shirt, and black jeans with his boots. He had rebraided his hair so it neatly fell down. Allura had changed into something that allowed her to blend in well with the masses. A light pink blouse that she had tucked into whitewash high waisted jeans, and brown riding boots. Her hair neatly put up in a high bun. Adam had also changed into something much more stylish. A maroon button-down shirt, over a light brown blazer, and dark wash jeans cropped at his ankles. His hair was neatly styled, and he had put on a new pair of glasses that matched. Lance smiled at the older man, understanding Keith’s jab at him; he did look like he stepped out of a brochure for a college. Shiro had just put on a gray under armor shirt, with black Adidas pants, and sneakers with a zip-up hoodie. 

They all looked like regular everyday people dressed like that. It also gave Lance a glimpse into how they were as individuals. Not just as immortal warriors, or mercenaries who have been alive for centuries helping humanity in the long run. Lance could see how they were as people too now that things had started to settle just a little. 

Allura had then suggested they all go to a little pub right on the wharf, looking out at the Thames. An old haunt for them. It wasn’t very far from the small apartment so they all walked to it. Allowing the smell of the river wash over them, and the cool spring breeze blow against their faces. Lance suppressed a shiver, to which Adam had given him a sympathetic look, and wrapped his arm around him in solidarity. When they got the entrance, Shiro blocked Keith and shook his head. 

“You stay out here,” he said. “We’re going to decide your punishment.” 

Keith had looked at all of them, anguish in his eyes but he nodded and walked down a small stone stairway that led right to the riverbank. Shiro held the door out for Lance allowing him in. It was a small place, made of wood and stone. Giving it an ancient feeling. Something that felt right for them. There was a sign saying how this place had been open to patrons for five hundred years, and the history of those types of pubs. They had all nodded politely to the bartender as they took a table in the corner, next to a window allowing natural light in. 

Shiro leaned against the wood, his hands splayed out against the table. “Regulars?” he asked. 

Adam and Allura nodded, and Adam looked over at Lance. “Do you have a preference?”

Lance froze for a moment trying to think. He wasn’t a big drinker, never had been. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had taken alcohol, minus the one glass of Bordeaux that Shiro had offered in the church in France. But Lance had only taken a small sip. He shrugged his shoulders. 

“Whatever you’re getting is fine,” he ended up saying. 

Shiro let out a snort, and Adam and Allura shared a smile between each other. Lance didn’t like that, but he steeled himself. Shiro smiled before he went to the bar to take the orders. A minute later he came back and placed a pint of an amber beer in front of Allura who took it with thanks. A dark soda was given to Adam, who then also stole a straw to put it in. He then placed a pint of beer in front of Lance, and then a shot glass of liquor next to it. He sat down next to Allura and had the same thing. Shiro poured the shot into the beer, and then drank almost half of it with ease. Lance cringed. 

“What is that?” 

Shiro wiped his mouth. “Harp Lager and a shot of Jameson.” 

“That’s disgusting,” Lance said. “I think I’ll pass on the Jameson.” 

The man laughed and shrugged his shoulders. He then took the shot from Lance who had pushed it away from him and took it with ease. Adam had rolled his eyes and took a long sip of his own soda. 

“So, what do we do about Keith?” Adam finally asked, addressing the major elephant in the room. 

The light atmosphere they had built, shattered. Shiro had pursed his lips tightly, and Lance looked out the window. Allura took a sip of her drink. 

“Banishment,” Shiro said. “At least two hundred years to start.” 

It was then they started to discuss. It was more so the three of them. Lance passively watched as they made arguments for what they thought would be best. Keith had betrayed their trust in a deep and scathing way. Lance did not feel it as strongly as they did. He had only known Keith for a small-time, but he found he had liked the man. Enjoyed the company of him. Lance though him to be smart, and funny, and kind. He thought of Lance in ways that the other’s didn’t. Not for any real fault of their own, but Keith was the one who helped comfort Lance the most through this new life he had been thrust in. Keith understood it best. The three people he sat with, had been alive for thousands of years. Keith was just barely going into his second century. A thought that still took Lance for a spin. But two hundred years was child’s play to those three. They were proposing exiling him for two hundred years, as the starting point. 

“What do you think, Lance?” Allura asked, cluing him back in. 

“Uh,” he gaped. The three of them were looking intently at him like they really thought his input was important. He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d be good with an apology.” 

They scoffed like it was a joke, but he was serious. “But, honestly, it should be up to you. He betrayed you, not me.” 

“You’re part of the team now Lance. Your input is important to us,” Shiro replied. 

“Yeah, I get that. But it impacted you much more than it did me. So I’ll let you three dish the punishment out this time,” he insisted. 

They looked like they wished to argue further, but conceded to him. Lance watched them haggle out the punishment more, as Adam tried to mediate and find a middle ground. Lance had finished his drink, welcoming the bubbles and taste of the beer down his throat, and the spread of the warmth in his belly. Lance excused himself out of the booth and walked out of the pub. 

He went down the stone staircase that Keith had gone down. He saw the man hunched over a railing, his head down. Lance walked up to him quietly, making him look up at Lance. He gave the man a small self-deprecating smile as he raised an eyebrow. 

“How’s it going in there?” he asked. 

Lance sighed as he leaned his back against the railing, putting his hands in his jeans pockets. 

“They’re still deciding,” he said. “Adam’s trying to mediate and find a middle ground.” 

Keith scoffed. “Of course he is.” He shifted until his back was to the Thames as well. 

Keith looked exhausted. Lance was sure they all did. But his skin had a sickly pallor to it, dark bags emerging under his eyes. But Lance still thought he looked good all things considering. He wasn’t sure what the feelings were that were developing in Lance for him. But he felt them in his heart as it fluttered every time he saw them. Whether it was telling him a deeply personal history, or cursing at Lance when he had stabbed him in the desert of Afghanistan or working together almost perfectly in sync at Honerva’s lab. Keith was a deeply human person. He seemed much more at home with humanity than the other three. They had thousands of years to separate themselves, while Keith was still learning how. Keith understood Lance’s struggles, and Lance probably would’ve drowned without him there to help him swim to the shore. 

The man shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know what there’s to discuss. It’s not like they can kill me.” 

Lance took out his phone, twirling it in his hands. Keith nodded to it. “She gave it back to you?” 

“Yeah,” he replied. He took a deep breath. “I talked to Lotor. Said he could fix it. Make it look like I was killed in action. My family will mourn, but they’ll be able to move on. Just like we did with my dad.” 

He felt his eyes watering, and he turned back to the river. He wiped his eye and gripped the wooden beam tightly. Keith didn’t say anything for a moment, but Lance felt a hand go over his. Lance looked up at Keith. He looked conflicted, his face pinched. Lance smiled at the gesture. 

“I just want to say thank you,” Lance said. Keith’s eyes widened and his jaw slackened, but he cut him off before Keith could say anything. “I mean it. You were there for me during this. More than Allura, or Adam and Shiro. You understood that I was starting to drown in this new life, and you were there to help me swim to shore.” 

Keith shook his head. “Anyone on the team would’ve done it.” 

“Not like you though. They don’t understand. They don’t truly remember. But you do. They had thousands of years to separate themselves from the pain of the past, but you’re still learning. And now so am I. So I think, that we can learn this together,” he admitted. 

Lance looked in the amethyst eyes of Keith. He slowly leaned in and their lips connected. Keith didn’t respond for a moment, but then he did. It was a chaste kiss, and it only lasted a moment before Keith pulled back, his eyes screwed tight. He shook his head. Lance felt shame rise in him. 

“Keith,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry.” 

He scoffed. “Don’t be. I’m sorry, Lance.” 

He looked at him with a small smile. “I think you’re great, Lance. Truly I do. But I can’t yet. Not any fault of your own. It’s all me.” 

Lance ran a hand through his hair and nodded. “I get it. Do you ever think though?” 

Keith raised his eyebrows, looking out at the water. “Perhaps. But maybe when you get through your first half or full century. Then we can talk again.” 

Lance scoffed. “Fifty of a hundred years, like it’s nothing.” 

“For us, it is.” He sighed. “You’re going to be great for the team.” 

Lance pursed his lips and nodded. A few minutes later, the team came down the staircase, Allura leading them. Allura came the rest of the way alone, with Lance taking a step back with Adam and Shiro. Adam gave him a small smile, eyes understanding. Shiro was grimacing, his arms crossed as they watched Allura and Keith talked. 

“There’s got to be a price,” Allura said. Keith nodded in understanding. 

She looked at him. “A hundred years from today, they’ll meet you here. Until then, you’re alone.” 

Keith let out a soft curse rubbing his eyes and then over his face. It hurt to hear it, but he knew it was coming. 

“I hoped for less, but expected more,” he finally said. 

“Lance was going to let you off with an apology,” she said. Keith scoffed and rolled his eyes fondly. 

“Just give him some time,” he said. 

“Shiro wanted to start with two hundred years,” Allura continued. “But Adam was able to bring it down to a hundred.” 

It felt like a dagger in the heart. Keith had been closest to Shiro in the years since they took him in. There had been a lot of good memories between them. Getting into trouble, and laughing as they ran away or fought their way through to safety; or having to rely on Adam or Allura to find them. Adam always rolled his eyes and scolded them, and in one memorable time when he killed them out of anger, only for them to come back with Adam hugging them tightly to his chest apologizing. Shiro took the betrayal the hardest, for good reason. And though Keith did not intend for things to escalate so far, he understood the punishment he was being dealt. And he was secretly happy for Adam’s mercy coming through. 

Allura looked away for a moment, her face pinched in pain. Tears started to gather in her eyes and she sniffled, wiping her hand over her nose and pinching her eyes. Keith felt his heart contract at the sight. It was a very rare sight, seeing Allura cry. Breaking her walls down. All because of Keith. 

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered. 

Keith tried to control his own breathing. He glanced at Allura and then he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her into a tight hug. Allura masked her surprise well, but she then reciprocated. They held each other tightly for a few long moments. Keith buried his face in her soft white hair. He put a gentle hand on the back of her neck before releasing. 

“I won’t see you again,” he choked out. Allura’s newfound mortality won’t last the hundred years of exile. That was a new pain all onto himself. 

Allura exhaled, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. She gave him a smirk. “Have a little faith, Keith,” she promised. 

They both shared a curt laugh, and Allura nodded and turned around to start walking towards the others who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. He glanced at them for a moment, taking in their faces one last time. Adam’s was well-schooled, but his eyes betrayed his pain. Shiro had his arms crossed, his face shuttered, while Lance just looked down at the ground with a frown. Adam leaned in to whisper something to Lance who nodded, and then he wrapped an arm around Shiro’s waist to guide them back up the stairs will Allura with them. 

Once they had left Keith on the shore of the Thames, they drove back to Surrey to meet up with Lotor. They still had some unfinished business to get through. Lotor had answered with a hesitant smile on his face and led them back to his office. The wall of the information and photos was still up. Adam and Shiro had walked up to it, taking in every single detail, and whispering among themselves. Shiro looked shocked at the whole thing, while Adam just gently touched photos and articles. He would then say something to Shiro and they would share a laugh before continuing on. There was a photo of the two of them saving a man in 1968, and a bad school ID photo of Adam from that one stint he did as a college student as part of reconnaissance. A photo of them and Keith during the Cuban Revolution, crouching down with rifles in their hands. Old German passport photo of Shiro, when he had buzzed all his hair off. A photo of Adam, Shiro, and Allura in a crowd during a speech from Martin Luther King Jr. Another photo of Allura in the heat of a crowd in Berlin in 1989. A photo of Allura in a trench, wearing gear from World War One, holding a child in her lap, with a string attached to a woman pilot smiling on the front page of a French newspaper. On a yellow sticky note, saying she saved her in 1918. 

“This is only what I’ve found going back the last hundred and fifty years or so,” Lotor pointed out. “When you think about how old you are, the good you’ve done for humanity becomes exponential.” 

Lance had been leaning up against a chair, watching them all take it in. “Perhaps this is the why, Allura,” he said. 

Allura turned towards him, an eyebrow raised. Adam twitched a small smile hearing it and turning around to face them. Shiro looked down at his shoes, his eyes in deep thought. 

“It’s nearly impossible to disappear in the world we live in today,” she stated. Adam and Shiro nodded their heads in agreement. 

“There are too many people like you who can bend it to your will,” she said turning towards Lotor. They stared at each other for a long moment. “Too many with bad intentions.” 

Lotor bit the inside of his cheek, nodding his head. Knowing of his own mistakes and downfalls. She took a step closer. 

“We don’t have all the answers, but we do have purpose. And you’re going to help us.” 

Lotor’s eyebrow twitched and his blue eyes widened a little, but he did not reply. They all turned slowly to face him, their eyes piercing. 

“When we leave a footprint in the sand, in the snow, the ether, you’re going to sweep it,” she said taking another step towards him. “You’re going to protect us from those who want to put us in cages and you’re going to help us find those jobs that are best suited for us.” 

Adam, Shiro, and Lance had come up to flank her from behind. Lotor clenched his jaw and swallowed looking at them. He kept his arms crossed over his chest looking at Allura. 

“She’s not asking,” Shiro declared, glaring at him. 

Lotor breathed in deeply and exhaled. He gave a minute nod. “I’d be honored.” 

Allura twitched a smirk. “Then let’s go to work.” She turned back to her team for a moment who all nodded, always ready to follow her lead.

* * *

**Six Months Later**

Keith had hopped on the first flight to the United States after the team left him. He then drove from New York all the way to Texas, taking his time. He had more than enough of it. When he saw the familiar sign welcoming him home, he had felt a bittersweet melancholy. It had been years since he came back. He had driven to the old place he knew the ranch was where he had been adopted into and worked on growing up. It had long been abandoned and replaced with a suburban town that he didn’t bother to learn the name of. 

Then he found his way back to an old safe house that he had built. It had been on the property of his father, and it was nothing more than a small shack in the middle of nowhere. It was where he had decided to hunker down for the meantime. He helped the local farmers out by becoming a farmhand, the work familiar even after so long. It anchored him to his former life. And it was the way he liked it. 

It was the end of the day, the sun setting over the horizon. Keith had stopped at the local store and picked up a six-pack of Lone Stars, along with some small groceries for himself. It had been a long week, but he deserved to relax with a beer. He pulled up into the dirt road in the rusty truck had bought off Craigslist for dirt cheap. The road was bumpy, and the radio had been going in and out of static while playing an old country song. The setting sun was blinding, so he had put on sunglasses over his eyes, his hand sticking out of the window casually. 

He came up to the old shack and pulled the car into the park. He grabbed the bags and the six-pack, getting out of the car and closing the door with a slam. He took a bottle out of the pack and using his eyes opened it. It foamed a little, spilling onto his hand, which he just shook off, and took a nice swig of it. Allowing the coldness of the beer to sweep down his throat. It was refreshing. 

He pushed the door open with his shoulder, the old wood door creaking on its hinges. As he did that, he dropped the bottle he had been holding precariously, having it shatter on the ground. 

“ _ Carajo _ ,” he cursed. Keith had taken up speaking Spanish again since he went back to his original home. It was just easier, though he was fluent in English. He looked down at the broken glass and the beer that had spilled, knowing he’d have to clean it soon or else it’d get sticky. 

An image of Adam’s face came to his head, cursing if he let his home get messy. Keith stifled a laugh for a moment before pushing it away. It was still too fresh the wound. He stepped over the glass and beer and made his way into the kitchen. He placed the pack of beer and bags down on the small dining table. But something was amiss. A shadow was in the kitchen, which caused Keith to immediately draw his small gun he kept on him at all times and point up. 

Next to the stove, a woman dressed in a Dallas Cowboy’s shirt, and jean shorts was pouring herself a glass of water from the pitcher in his fridge. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in two long ponytails. She had a pair of round sunglasses perched, and she looked completely at ease. 

“Keith,” she said, her voice melodic as she turned around. Keith tensed not lowering the gun. 

Her eyes were blue as the sea, and she had fair skin. A smile broke out on her face as she took a sip of water. “I would’ve dressed more nicely, but apparently these...Dallas Cowboys are very popular around here and it was the only thing I could find.” 

Keith wanted to huff a laugh but refrained. It was in the height of football season, and Texas took their football very seriously. She bowed her head a little. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you though,” she said and took another sip of water with her eyebrows raised. 

Keith then realized who it was. “ _Fuck_.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we are done! Thank you for reading and getting this far. I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> As always, drop some comments and kudos below :)

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing like good ol family bonding. I have other parts of this au on my tumblr adashisoul, but I wanted to wait to post it on here until I wrote the first part of the story, which is this. I'll post those other parts when it is time. 
> 
> Please, drop a comment below! I'll really appreciate it! Thanks for reading!


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